Abstract
Part of the ventral striatal division, the nucleus accumbens (NAc) drives the circuit activity of an entire macrosystem about reward like a “flagship,” signaling and leading diverse conducts. Accordingly, NAc neurons feature complex inhibitory phenotypes that assemble to process circuit inputs and generate outputs by exploiting specific arrays of opposite and/or parallel neurotransmitters, neuromodulatory peptides. The resulting complex combinations enable versatile yet specific forms of accumbal circuit plasticity, including maladaptive behaviors. Although reward signaling and behavior are elaborately linked to neuronal circuit activities, it is plausible to propose whether these neuronal ensembles and synaptic islands can be directly controlled by astrocytes, a powerful modulator of neuronal activity. Pioneering studies showed that astrocytes in the NAc sense citrate cycle metabolites and/or ATP and may induce recurrent activation. We argue that the astrocytic calcium, GABA, and Glu signaling and altered sodium and chloride dynamics fundamentally shape metaplasticity by providing active regulatory roles in the synapse- and network-level flexibility of the NAc.
Highlights
Part of the ventral striatal division, the nucleus accumbens (NAc) drives the circuit activity of an entire macrosystem about reward like a Bflagship,^ signaling and leading diverse conducts
We suggest that the characteristic differences between rodent and human NAc sub-territories are related to the diverse incentive-cue responding and behavioral inhibition of humans
The results indicate that ventral tegmental area (VTA)-GABA neurons, but not GABA projections, disrupt incentive salience processes [221]
Summary
Connexin 43 GLT-1, SLC1A2—glial Na+ and H+ ion-dependent excitatory amino acid transporter type 2 with (1Glu:3Na+:1H+)in/ (K+)out stoichiometry Dopamine (3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine). Frontal cortex γ-Aminobutyric acid Glutamic acid decarboxylase SLC6A11—glial Na+ and Cl− ion-dependent GABA transporter type 3 with (1GABA:2Na+:1Cl−)in stoichiometry Glial fibrillary acidic protein γ-Hydroxy butyric acid Gap junction. IOS Meth mGluR5 NAc NMDA Nqo PAPs PV Pvalb Sgms SOM SSA SSADH Succinate Sucnr VTA. AMPA receptor—alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5methyl-4-isoxazole propionate receptor Intrinsic optical signal Methamphetamine, N-methyl-amphetamine Group 1 metabotropic Glu receptor Nucleus accumbens N-methyl-D-aspartate NAD(P)H dehydrogenase, quinone 2 gene Perisynaptic astrocytic processes Parvalbumin Parvalbumin gene Sphingomyelin synthase gene Somatostatin Succinic semialdehyde Succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase enzyme Sucn Succinate receptor 1 gene Ventral tegmental area
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