(915.1) Benztropine Reduces Reacquisition of Alcohol Self-Administration in Rats with Stress History: Role of FKBP5

Poster Board Number: B194

Eleanna Sakoulas (The Scripps Research Institute, The Scripps Research Institute), Luisa Bertotto (The Scripps Research Institute), Marian Logrip (Indiana University School of Medicine), Katrina Lin (The Scripps Research Institute, The Scripps Research Institute), Anastasia Pimentel (The Scripps Research Institute), Bryan Cruz (The Scripps Research Institute), Valentina Vozella (The Scripps Research Institute), Marisa Roberto (The Scripps Research Institute), Eric Zorrilla (The Scripps Research Institute)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can affect 1 in 11 adults during their lifetime, is often comorbid with chronic alcohol use problems and increases alcohol relapse risk. PTSD and alcohol-use phenotypes are associated with variants in the FKBP propyl isomerase 5 (FKBP5) gene, which encodes FK506-binding protein 5 (FKBP5), a chaperone modulator of glucocorticoid receptors (GR) that is functionally implicated in stress-related psychiatric disorders and alcohol withdrawal severity. Data suggests that FKBP5 inhibition may decrease alcohol intake, but its role in the post-traumatic recurrence of alcohol drinking is unknown. Here, we tested the hypotheses that amygdala Fkbp5 expression is increased in rats with a history of traumatic stress and is associated with greater reacquisition of ethanol self-administration. Then, we tested the hypothesis that benztropine mesylate, an FDA-approved drug that disrupts FKBP5-GR binding, reduces reacquisition of ethanol self-administration in rats with a history of traumatic stress. Separate cohorts (for mRNA vs. benztropine studies) of male (n = 43) and female (n = 20) Wistar rats received 3 sessions of light-cued footshock stress (30 min session, 60 footshocks, 1-s 0.4 mA) before acquiring operant ethanol (10% v/v) self-administration (1-h sessions, fixed ratio1-3), followed by extinction (16 sessions), and then renewed alcohol access. Amygdala Fkbp5 expression correlated significantly with increased ethanol self-administration (rs(23) = 0.463, p = 0.023) during renewal of ethanol access. Subchronic (3 days) benztropine pretreatment (-2 h, i.p., 0, 5, and 10 mg/kg [n = 10, 14, and 14]) significantly reduced the reacquisition of ethanol self-administration. On days 2 and 3 of reacquisition, self-administration was significantly reduced in drug treated animals (Dose x Day: F(4,64)=2.83, p lt; 0.04), culminating in a 68% reduction in males (0.78±0.16 vs. 0.25±0.13 g/kg) and a 41% reduction in females (0.88±0.14 vs. 0.52±0.13 g/kg) at the 10 mg/kg dose. Overall, the results warrant further study of benztropine and its potential inhibition of FKBP5 to reduce post-traumatic alcohol relapse risk.

Support or Funding Information

NIAAA R01 AA028879, P60 AA006420, the Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research