title: Hypocretin/Orexin and Plastic Adaptations Associated with Drug Abuse.
abstract: Dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are a critical part of the neural circuits that underlie reward learning and motivation. Dopamine neurons send dense projections throughout the brain and recent observations suggest that both the intrinsic properties and the functional output of dopamine neurons are dependent on projection target and are subject to neuromodulatory influences. Lateral hypothalamic hypocretin (also termed orexin) neurons project to the VTA and contain both hypocretin and dynorphin peptides in the same dense core vesicles suggesting they may be co-released. Hypocretin peptides act at excitatory Gαqprotein-coupled receptors and dynorphin acts at inhibitory Gαi/oprotein-coupled receptors, which are both expressed on subpopulations of dopamine neurons. This review describes a role for neuromodulation of dopamine neurons and the influence on motivated behaviour in response to natural and drug rewards.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, 2176 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z3.|Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr. NW, Calgary, AB, Canada, T2N 4N1.
authors.forename: Corey
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baimel
authors.affiliation: Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr. NW, Calgary, AB, Canada, T2N 4N1. s.borgland@ucalgary.ca.
authors.forename: Stephanie L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Borgland
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D059290:Dopaminergic Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D000068797:Orexins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000068797:Orexins
keywords: AMPA; Dopamine; Hypocretin; Morphine; NMDA; Ventral tegmental area