Clavulanic Acid-Mediated Increases in Anterior Cingulate Glutamate Levels are Associated With Decreased Cocaine Craving and Brain Network Functional Connectivity Changes

Background: There is an urgent need for pharmacological treatment for cocaine (COC) use disorder (CUD). Glutamatergic transmission in the prefrontal cortex is affected by addictive behaviors. Clavulanic acid (CLAV), a glutamate transporter GLT-1 (excitatory amino acid transporter) activator, is a cl...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Joya Maser, MS, Mary F. Morrison, MD, Helene Philogene Khalid, PhD, Ronan Cunningham, Daohai Yu, PhD, M. Ingre Walters, MD, Xiaoning Lu, Nicolas R. Bolo, PhD
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-01-01
Series:Current Therapeutic Research
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0011393X24000213
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850119486351343616
author Joya Maser, MS
Mary F. Morrison, MD
Helene Philogene Khalid, PhD
Ronan Cunningham
Daohai Yu, PhD
M. Ingre Walters, MD
Xiaoning Lu
Nicolas R. Bolo, PhD
author_facet Joya Maser, MS
Mary F. Morrison, MD
Helene Philogene Khalid, PhD
Ronan Cunningham
Daohai Yu, PhD
M. Ingre Walters, MD
Xiaoning Lu
Nicolas R. Bolo, PhD
author_sort Joya Maser, MS
collection DOAJ
description Background: There is an urgent need for pharmacological treatment for cocaine (COC) use disorder (CUD). Glutamatergic transmission in the prefrontal cortex is affected by addictive behaviors. Clavulanic acid (CLAV), a glutamate transporter GLT-1 (excitatory amino acid transporter) activator, is a clinical-stage medication that has potential for treating CUD. Methods: In a pilot study, nine participants with CUD received 500 mg CLAV with dose escalations to 750 mg and 1000 mg over 10 days. In 5 separate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sessions, brain anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) glutamate level and resting state network (RSN) functional connectivity (FC) were assessed using MR spectroscopy and functional MRI. Craving was assessed at the same time points, between baseline (before CLAV), 6 days, and 10 days of CLAV. Independent component analysis with dual regression was used to identify RSN FC changes from baseline to Days 6 and 10. Relationships among glutamate, craving, and resting state FC values were analyzed. Results: Participants who achieved high ACC glutamate levels after CLAV treatment had robust decreases in COC craving (r = −0.90, P = 0.0009, n = 9). The salience network (SN) and executive control network (ECN) demonstrated an association between increased FC after CLAV treatment and low baseline ACC Glu levels (SN CLAV 750 mg, r = −0.82, P = 0.007) (ECN CLAV 1000 mg, r = −0.667, P = 0.050; n = 9). Conclusions: Glutamate associated changes in craving and FC of the salience and executive control brain networks support CLAV as a potentially efficacious pharmacological treatment for CUD.
format Article
id doaj-art-88aa577ebef74cccb86bfd770902f3da
institution OA Journals
issn 0011-393X
language English
publishDate 2024-01-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Current Therapeutic Research
spelling doaj-art-88aa577ebef74cccb86bfd770902f3da2025-08-20T02:35:37ZengElsevierCurrent Therapeutic Research0011-393X2024-01-0110110075110.1016/j.curtheres.2024.100751Clavulanic Acid-Mediated Increases in Anterior Cingulate Glutamate Levels are Associated With Decreased Cocaine Craving and Brain Network Functional Connectivity ChangesJoya Maser, MS0Mary F. Morrison, MD1Helene Philogene Khalid, PhD2Ronan Cunningham3Daohai Yu, PhD4M. Ingre Walters, MD5Xiaoning Lu6Nicolas R. Bolo, PhD7Department of Psychiatry, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Address correspondence to: Joya Maser, MS, Temple University Hospital Episcopal Campus, 100 E Lehigh Avenue, Medical Arts Building, Suite 305A, Philadelphia, PA 19125.Department of Psychiatry, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychiatry, Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDepartment of Psychiatry, Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDepartment of Psychiatry, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDepartment of Biomedical Education and Data Science, Center for Biostatistics & Epidemiology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDepartment of Psychiatry, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDepartment of Biomedical Education and Data Science, Center for Biostatistics & Epidemiology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDepartment of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MassachusettsBackground: There is an urgent need for pharmacological treatment for cocaine (COC) use disorder (CUD). Glutamatergic transmission in the prefrontal cortex is affected by addictive behaviors. Clavulanic acid (CLAV), a glutamate transporter GLT-1 (excitatory amino acid transporter) activator, is a clinical-stage medication that has potential for treating CUD. Methods: In a pilot study, nine participants with CUD received 500 mg CLAV with dose escalations to 750 mg and 1000 mg over 10 days. In 5 separate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sessions, brain anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) glutamate level and resting state network (RSN) functional connectivity (FC) were assessed using MR spectroscopy and functional MRI. Craving was assessed at the same time points, between baseline (before CLAV), 6 days, and 10 days of CLAV. Independent component analysis with dual regression was used to identify RSN FC changes from baseline to Days 6 and 10. Relationships among glutamate, craving, and resting state FC values were analyzed. Results: Participants who achieved high ACC glutamate levels after CLAV treatment had robust decreases in COC craving (r = −0.90, P = 0.0009, n = 9). The salience network (SN) and executive control network (ECN) demonstrated an association between increased FC after CLAV treatment and low baseline ACC Glu levels (SN CLAV 750 mg, r = −0.82, P = 0.007) (ECN CLAV 1000 mg, r = −0.667, P = 0.050; n = 9). Conclusions: Glutamate associated changes in craving and FC of the salience and executive control brain networks support CLAV as a potentially efficacious pharmacological treatment for CUD.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0011393X24000213anterior cingulate cortexclavulanic acidcocaine cravingcocaine use disorderglutamateresting state magnetic functional resonance imaging
spellingShingle Joya Maser, MS
Mary F. Morrison, MD
Helene Philogene Khalid, PhD
Ronan Cunningham
Daohai Yu, PhD
M. Ingre Walters, MD
Xiaoning Lu
Nicolas R. Bolo, PhD
Clavulanic Acid-Mediated Increases in Anterior Cingulate Glutamate Levels are Associated With Decreased Cocaine Craving and Brain Network Functional Connectivity Changes
Current Therapeutic Research
anterior cingulate cortex
clavulanic acid
cocaine craving
cocaine use disorder
glutamate
resting state magnetic functional resonance imaging
title Clavulanic Acid-Mediated Increases in Anterior Cingulate Glutamate Levels are Associated With Decreased Cocaine Craving and Brain Network Functional Connectivity Changes
title_full Clavulanic Acid-Mediated Increases in Anterior Cingulate Glutamate Levels are Associated With Decreased Cocaine Craving and Brain Network Functional Connectivity Changes
title_fullStr Clavulanic Acid-Mediated Increases in Anterior Cingulate Glutamate Levels are Associated With Decreased Cocaine Craving and Brain Network Functional Connectivity Changes
title_full_unstemmed Clavulanic Acid-Mediated Increases in Anterior Cingulate Glutamate Levels are Associated With Decreased Cocaine Craving and Brain Network Functional Connectivity Changes
title_short Clavulanic Acid-Mediated Increases in Anterior Cingulate Glutamate Levels are Associated With Decreased Cocaine Craving and Brain Network Functional Connectivity Changes
title_sort clavulanic acid mediated increases in anterior cingulate glutamate levels are associated with decreased cocaine craving and brain network functional connectivity changes
topic anterior cingulate cortex
clavulanic acid
cocaine craving
cocaine use disorder
glutamate
resting state magnetic functional resonance imaging
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0011393X24000213
work_keys_str_mv AT joyamaserms clavulanicacidmediatedincreasesinanteriorcingulateglutamatelevelsareassociatedwithdecreasedcocainecravingandbrainnetworkfunctionalconnectivitychanges
AT maryfmorrisonmd clavulanicacidmediatedincreasesinanteriorcingulateglutamatelevelsareassociatedwithdecreasedcocainecravingandbrainnetworkfunctionalconnectivitychanges
AT helenephilogenekhalidphd clavulanicacidmediatedincreasesinanteriorcingulateglutamatelevelsareassociatedwithdecreasedcocainecravingandbrainnetworkfunctionalconnectivitychanges
AT ronancunningham clavulanicacidmediatedincreasesinanteriorcingulateglutamatelevelsareassociatedwithdecreasedcocainecravingandbrainnetworkfunctionalconnectivitychanges
AT daohaiyuphd clavulanicacidmediatedincreasesinanteriorcingulateglutamatelevelsareassociatedwithdecreasedcocainecravingandbrainnetworkfunctionalconnectivitychanges
AT mingrewaltersmd clavulanicacidmediatedincreasesinanteriorcingulateglutamatelevelsareassociatedwithdecreasedcocainecravingandbrainnetworkfunctionalconnectivitychanges
AT xiaoninglu clavulanicacidmediatedincreasesinanteriorcingulateglutamatelevelsareassociatedwithdecreasedcocainecravingandbrainnetworkfunctionalconnectivitychanges
AT nicolasrbolophd clavulanicacidmediatedincreasesinanteriorcingulateglutamatelevelsareassociatedwithdecreasedcocainecravingandbrainnetworkfunctionalconnectivitychanges