Activation of TLR4/STAT3 signaling in VTA contributes to the acquisition and maintenance of morphine-induced conditioned place preference

Publication date: 29 September 2017
Source:Behavioural Brain Research, Volume 335
Author(s): Jia-Xin Chen, Kang-Mei Huang, Meng Liu, Jin-Xiang Jiang, Jian-Peng Liu, Yu-Xiang Zhang, Chen Yang, Wen-Jun Xin, Xue-Qin Zhang
Morphine, commonly used to relieve the acute or chronic pain, has a high potential for addiction and exerts rewarding effects via a critical role for mesolimbic dopamine system. Studies suggest that addiction-related behavior is highly associated with inflammatory immune response, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. The present study showed that intra-VTA microinjection of TLR4 antagonist LPS-RS prevented the acquisition and maintenance, but not the expression, of morphine-induced CPP in rats. In addition, chronic morphine treatment significantly activated STAT3 on day 6 and 11 in VTA, and bilateral microinjection of STAT3 inhibitor S3I-201 into the VTA suppressed the acquisition and maintenance of morphine-induced CPP in rats. Furthermore, local knockout of STAT3 by injection of the AAV-Cre-GFP into the VTA area of STAT3^flox/flox mice also significantly impaired the acquisition of morphine CPP. Importantly, the TLR4 expression is colocalized with p-STAT3-positive cell in VTA, and repeated injection of LPS-RS significantly attenuated the STAT3 activation in VTA induced by chronic morphine treatment. Collectively, these data suggest that TLR4/STAT3 signaling pathway in VTA might play a critical role in the acquisition and maintenance of morphine CPP, and provides new evidence that TLR4/STAT3 signaling pathway might be a potential target for treatment of morphine addiction.



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