Knockdown of Piccolo in the Nucleus Accumbens Suppresses Methamphetamine-Induced Hyperlocomotion and Conditioned Place Preference in Mice

Methamphetamine (METH), the most widely distributed psychostimulant, aberrantly activates the reward system in the brain to induce addictive behaviors. The presynaptic protein “Piccolo”, encoded by Pclo, was identified as a METH-responsive protein with enhanced expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in mice. Although the physiological and pathological significance of Piccolo has been identified in dopaminergic signaling, its role in METH-induced behavioral abnormalities and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To clarify such functions, mice with Piccolo knockdown in the NAc (NAc-miPiccolo mice) by local injection of an adeno-associated virus vector carrying miRNA targeting Pclo were generated and investigated. NAc-miPiccolo mice exhibited suppressed hyperlocomotion, sensitization, and conditioned place preference behavior induced by systemic administration of METH. The excessive release of dopamine in the NAc was reduced in NAc-miPiccolo mice at baseline and in response to METH. These results suggest that Piccolo in the NAc is involved in METH-induced behavioral alterations and is a candidate therapeutic target for the treatment of drug addiction.