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Chongguang Chen

2 papers in the library · 15 citations · publishing 2022-2023

Papers

A suite of engineered mice for interrogating psychedelic drug actions

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) September 26, 2023 Yi-Ting Chiu, Wei Wang, Pierre Llorach et al. 15 citations preprint

Psychedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin show promise as treatments for depression, anxiety, PTSD, migraine, and cluster headaches by activating the 5-HT2A receptor (HTR2A). Researchers engineered several new mouse lines to study the role of HTR2A and the neurons that express it. One line allows visualization of the receptor and identification of HTR2A-containing cells, providing a detailed anatomical map. Another line has a humanized version of the receptor, and a third enables targeted genetic manipulation. The mice exhibited expected behavioral responses to psychedelics, confirming their usefulness. Electrophysiology showed that serotonin increases firing of specific pyramidal neurons through HTR2A, consistent with the receptor's location on the cell surface. These tools will help clarify how psychedelics work at molecular, cellular, and behavioral levels.

DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.25.559347 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Suite Drug Pharmacology Business +1

Agonist-Promoted Phosphorylation and Internalization of the Kappa Opioid Receptor in Mouse Brains: Lack of Connection With Conditioned Place Aversion.

Frontiers in Pharmacology January 1, 2022 Chongguang Chen, Peng Huang, Kathryn Bland et al.

Selective kappa opioid receptor (KOR) agonists are promising for treating pain and itch but often cause side effects like dysphoria and sedation. This study tested whether conditioned place aversion (CPA), a measure of dysphoria, is linked to KOR phosphorylation and internalization—markers of β-arrestin recruitment—in male mice. Using four KOR agonists at doses that maximally reduce pain and scratching, the authors found that U50,488H, MOM-SalB, and 42B, but not nalfurafine, induced KOR phosphorylation and internalization in brain regions. Yet, prior work showed that U50,488H and MOM-SalB cause CPA, while nalfurafine and 42B do not. These results indicate no connection between CPA and these β-arrestin-related processes.

DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.835809 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Analgesic effect Antipruritic effect Conditioned place aversion Kappa opioid receptor +4