Region-specific involvement of AMPA/Kainate receptors in Fos protein expression induced by cocaine-conditioned cues

Arturo R. Zavala, Jenny R. Browning, Erin D. Dickey, Sudipta Biswas, Janet Neisewander

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of the AMPA/Kainate receptor antagonist, NBQX, on cue-elicited cocaine-seeking behavior and concomitant changes in Fos protein expression. After cocaine self-administration training, rats underwent 24 days of abstinence during which they were exposed daily either to the self-administration environment with response-contingent cues previously paired with cocaine infusions available (Extinction group) or to an alternate environment (No Extinction group). Subsequently, rats were tested for cocaine-seeking behavior (i.e., operant responses without cocaine reinforcement) elicited by the cocaine-associated cues after pretreatment with either vehicle or NBQX (10 mg/kg, IP). NBQX markedly attenuated cue-elicited cocaine-seeking behavior relative to vehicle pretreatment in the No Extinction group and also decreased cue-elicited Fos protein expression in a region-specific manner in the anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortices, basolateral amygdala, nucleus accumbens core, and dorsal caudate-putamen, suggesting involvement of AMPA glutamate systems in specific subregions of the neuronal circuitry activated by cocaine cues.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)600-611
Number of pages12
JournalEuropean Neuropsychopharmacology
Volume18
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2008

Keywords

  • Addiction
  • Conditioning
  • Drug craving
  • Immediate early gene
  • Incentive motivation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pharmacology
  • Neurology
  • Clinical Neurology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health
  • Biological Psychiatry
  • Pharmacology (medical)

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