Regulatory effect of bee venom on methamphetamine-induced cellular activities in prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens in mice.
Our previous studies demonstrated that subcutaneous injection of bee venom (BV) into the Zusanli (ST36) acupuncture point, namely BV acupuncture, dose-dependently prevents conditioned place preference (CPP) induced by repeated injection of methamphetamine (METH) in mice. To expand on our observations, the present study was designed to determine the suppressive mechanisms of BV acupuncture in the development of METH-induced CPP by evaluating the changes in expression of ΔFosB, phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (pERK), and phosphorylated calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type II (pCaMKII) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) in mice. Pre-emptive treatment with BV at 30 min before repeated METH injection completely suppressed acquisition of CPP at the day 7 test session. METH-induced upregulation of ΔFosB and pERK in PFC and NAc was significantly reduced by BV pretreatment. Expression of pCaMKII was significantly elevated by METH in NAc and reduced in PFC. BV pretreatment reversed the changes of pCaMKII expression in PFC and NAc. These findings suggest that BV acupuncture may exert a suppressive effect on METH-induced addiction via regulation of signaling cascades of ΔFosB, ERK, and CaMKII in PFC and NAc.
Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Chonbuk National University Medical School.
Ji Seon
JS
Son
Young Chan
YC
Jeong
Young Bae
YB
Kwon
D000818:Animals; D001514:Bee Venoms / Q000494:pharmacology*; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism
D001514:Bee Venoms; C483819:Fosb protein, mouse; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D008694:Methamphetamine; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3