A new role for astrocytes in the story of cocaine abuse

Giorgio Carmignoto; Marta Gomez-Gonzalo

doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2023.03.004

A new role for astrocytes in the story of cocaine abuse

Neuron. 2023 Apr 5;111(7):920-921. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.03.004.

Authors

Giorgio Carmignoto¹, Marta Gomez-Gonzalo²

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy. Electronic address: giorgio.carmignoto@bio.unipd.it.
² Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy.

PMID: 37023713
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.03.004

Abstract

In this issue of Neuron, Yang et al.¹ highlight a hitherto unknown action of cocaine in VTA circuitry. They found that chronic cocaine use increased tonic inhibition selectively onto GABA neurons through Swell1 channel-dependent GABA release from astrocytes, leading to disinhibition-mediated hyperactivity in DA neurons and addictive behavior.

Publication types

Comment

MeSH terms

Astrocytes
Cocaine* / pharmacology
Cocaine-Related Disorders*
Dopaminergic Neurons / physiology
GABAergic Neurons
Humans
Ventral Tegmental Area / physiology

Substances

Cocaine