Wednesday, July 2, 2025 7/2/2025

Regulation of 5-HT circuits by CRF and GABA in opioid addiction and stress-induced relapse

Award Number: R01DA045771
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 01/15/2019
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 11/30/2024

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Regulation of 5-HT circuits by CRF and GABA in opioid addiction and stress-induced relapse - Stress impacts multiple phases of opioid addiction and is associated with greater vulnerability to initiation of drug taking, more rapid transition from drug use to abuse, and higher rates of drug relapse, though the neural circuitry and mechanisms involved are largely unknown. A growing literature indicates the involvement of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN)-serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) system in some of the affective components of drug addiction that motivate drug taking and relapse. Acute opioids stimulate 5-HT neurotransmission via GABAergic disinhibition, potentially contributing a positive affective component to the motivation for drug seeking early in opioid addiction. By contrast, later in addiction, the 5-HT DRN system may also contribute to drug-seeking motivated by negative affect via its responsiveness to stressors and its interaction with the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system. Our laboratory and others have shown that CRF-R1 receptors inhibit 5-HT DRN neurons via GABA interneurons. Preliminary data indicate a novel neuroadaptation within DRN-CRF circuits that is associated with vulnerability to stress-induced opioid relapse. Rats expressing extinction of either heroin intravenous self-administration (IVSA) or morphine conditioned place-preference (CPP) that are exposed to stress reinstate their previously extinguished heroin-seeking behavior or morphine CPP, an effect accompanied by sensitization of GABAA receptors on 5-HT DRN neurons. This neuroadaptation would render 5-HT DRN neurons vulnerable to inhibition by CRF-R1-GABA inputs. From these collective data, we hypothesize a dual role for the 5-HT system in opioid addiction: 1) early opioid exposure stimulates 5-HT DRN neurons, creating a positive affective state that contributes to opioid reward; 2) stress exposure in subjects with an opioid history sensitizes GABAA receptors on 5-HT DRN neurons, making them vulnerable to inhibition by CRF-R1 located on GABA afferents. The resulting 5-HT hypofunction creates a negative affective state that motivates opioid reinstatement. In specific aim 1, we will use electrophysiology to measure the dynamic changes in membrane properties and excitability of 5-HT DRN neurons ex vivo as they track with changes in affect and behavior over the course of a rat model of heroin IVSA, extinction and stress- induced reinstatement. In specific aim 2 we will use viral delivery of Designer Receptor Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs in Tph2-Cre rats to examine the impact of manipulating 5-HT DRN neuronal activity in vivo in the behavioral model. In specific aim 3 we will use viral delivery of DREADDs in Crh-Cre or GAD-Cre rats to test the causal relationship between amygdala CRF afferents to the DRN and DRN GABA interneurons in the behavioral model. This proposal employs multiple ex vivo and in vivo approaches to dissect the role of 5-HT- GABA-CRF circuitry in a model of opioid addiction and relapse with the ultimate goal of identifying novel therapeutic targets to treat opioid addiction and prevent relapse.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = -$16,598 )
2025	2023	TEMPLE UNIVERSITY-OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION	1805 N BROAD ST	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19122	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	000	5	4/23/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$16,598
														Subtotal = -$16,598

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $356,625 )
2023	2023	TEMPLE UNIVERSITY-OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION	1801 N BROAD ST	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19122	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	000	5	12/1/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$320,963
2023	2023	TEMPLE UNIVERSITY-OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION	1801 N BROAD ST	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19122	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	001	5	1/12/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$35,662
														Subtotal = $356,625

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $515,109 )
2022	2022	TEMPLE UNIVERSITY-OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION	1801 N BROAD ST	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19122	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	002	4	7/22/2022	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$158,484
2022	2022	TEMPLE UNIVERSITY-OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION	1801 N BROAD ST	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19122	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	001	4	3/18/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$35,663
2022	2022	TEMPLE UNIVERSITY-OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION	1801 N BROAD ST	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19122	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	000	4	11/18/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$320,962
														Subtotal = $515,109

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $356,625 )
2021	2021	TEMPLE UNIVERSITY-OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION	1801 N BROAD ST	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19122	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	000	3	11/20/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$320,962
2021	2021	TEMPLE UNIVERSITY-OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION	1801 N BROAD ST	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19122	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	001	3	2/23/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$35,663
														Subtotal = $356,625

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $356,625 )
2020	2020	TEMPLE UNIVERSITY-OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION	1801 N BROAD ST	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19122	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	001	2	2/10/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$35,663
2020	2020	TEMPLE UNIVERSITY-OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION	1801 N BROAD ST	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19122	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	000	2	11/20/2019	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$320,962
														Subtotal = $356,625

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $347,270 )
2019	2019	TEMPLE UNIVERSITY-OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION	1801 N BROAD ST	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19122	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	000	1	1/14/2019	NEW	$347,270
														Subtotal = $347,270

Grand Total All Awards = $1,915,656

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Regulation of 5-HT circuits by CRF and GABA in opioid addiction and stress-induced relapse

Award Number: R01DA045771

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 01/15/2019

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 11/30/2024

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer