Nicotine-conditioned single-trial place preference: selective role of nucleus accumbens shell dopamine D1 receptors in acquisition

Rationale Experimental evidence indicates that the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) pathway innervating the ventral striatum is critically involved in the motivational effects of drug abuse. However, the role of DA transmission of the two main subdivisions of the nucleus accumbens (NAc), the shell and the core, in the motivational properties of nicotine is unknown. Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the role of DA D₁ and D₂ receptors of the rat NAc shell and core in the motivational effects of nicotine using a conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. Methods The effect of the intracerebral infusion of DA antagonists specific for DA D₁ (SCH 39166) and D₂ receptors (l-sulpiride) was studied in a single-trial place-conditioning paradigm with fixed assignment of the drug to the unpreferred compartment. Results Nicotine induced significant CPP at the dose of 0.4 and 0.6 mg/kg subcutaneously (s.c.). Intra-NAc shell infusion of SCH 39166 (6.25, 12.5, 25 and 50 ng bilaterally, 10 min before nicotine administration), impaired in a dose-dependent manner the acquisition of CPP by nicotine (0.4 mg/kg s.c.). SCH 39166 failed to affect nicotine CPP when infused into the NAc core. l-Sulpiride (25 and 50 ng bilaterally) had no effect on acquisition after intra-Nac shell infusion. SCH 39166 and l-sulpiride were ineffective after infusion in the NAc shell and core 10 min before the test session. Conclusions The results indicate that dopamine D₁ but not D₂ receptors of the NAc shell are specifically involved in the acquisition of nicotine-induced CPP.     

消炎痛能部分翻转脂多糖诱导的加压素能及去甲肾上腺素能神经元的Fos表达

目的　探讨消炎痛对脂多糖诱导的下丘脑视上核、室旁核加压素能神经元及脑干蓝斑去甲肾上腺素能 (酪氨酸羟化酶阳性 )神经元的Fos表达的影响。方法　采用双重免疫组织化学的研究方法 ,观察脂多糖诱导大鼠脑内Fos的表达。结果　两种剂量 (0 0 2 5mg·kg-1,1 2 5mg·kg-1)的脂多糖均可以诱导视上核和室旁核内部分加压素能神经元和蓝斑的部分去甲肾上腺素能神经元Fos表达 ,静脉给予消炎痛 (10mg·kg-1)能抑制低剂量脂多糖诱导的上述核团加压素及去甲肾上腺素能神经元Fos表达 ,而对高剂量脂多糖诱导的Fos表达无效。结论　脂多糖能激活下丘脑视上核和室旁核加压素能神经元及脑干蓝斑去甲肾上腺素能神经元 ,参与神经内分泌免疫的中枢反应 ,前列腺素至少部分地参与这种激活过程     

Regional differences in naloxone modulation of Delta(9)-THC induced Fos expression in rat brain

Recent behavioral and pharmacological research shows extensive interplay between cannabinoid and opioid neurochemical systems. Here we examined the neuroanatomical basis of this interaction using c-fos immunohistochemistry. We compared Fos immunoreactivity in groups of male albino Wistar rats treated with vehicle, Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, 10 mg/kg, i.p.), naloxone (10 mg/kg, i.p.) or THC and naloxone in combination. Locomotor activity was depressed in both THC treatment groups and moderately inhibited in rats given naloxone alone. Results showed that naloxone inhibited THC-induced Fos immunoreactivity in several key brain regions including the ventral tegmental area, ventromedial and dorsomedial hypothalamus, central caudate-putamen and ventrolateral periaqueductal grey. Conversely, naloxone and THC had an additive effect on Fos immunoreactivity in the central nucleus of the amygdala, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (lateral division), the insular cortex, and the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus. These findings complement earlier pharmacological results showing potent modulation of cannabinoid-induced analgesia, appetite and reward by opioids. The inhibitory effects of naloxone on THC-induced ventral tegmentum, hypothalamic and periaqueductal grey Fos expression point to these structures as key sites involved in cannabinoid-opioid interactions.     

Effects of early handling on amphetamine-induced locomotor activation and conditioned place preference in the adult rat

  Rationale: Altered hormonal stress responsiveness has been implicated in psychostimulant responsivity, and early handling represents a mild environmental manipulation which alters the hormonal profile following stress exposure. Objective: The present experiments examined whether early handling in rats would alter locomotor effects of amphetamine, as well as cross-sensitization of locomotor responsiveness after chronic stress. Conditioned place preference (CPP) for amphetamine was also measured. Methods: Handling consisted of daily 15-min isolation periods from days 1–12 postnatally. Novelty- and amphetamine (0, 1.5 mg/kg)-induced locomotion were examined using circular corridors in adult rats that were either restrained repeatedly over 8 days or not disturbed prior to testing. The effects of handling on amphetamine (0, 1, 2, 5 mg/kg) conditioned place preference (CPP) were also examined following 3 days of drug-compartment pairings. Results: Early handling produced a more rapid post-stress recovery in corticosterone levels. Handled animals also exhibited a significant attenuation in amphetamine-induced CPP compared to non-handled controls. Locomotor responsiveness to novelty and amphetamine was not altered by early handling. Although no cross-sensitization was observed, evidence for stress sensitization was seen, but was unaffected by early handling. Conclusions: Handled animals showed an attenuated CPP for amphetamine, data suggesting that sensitivity to the reward value of drugs of abuse in adulthood may be susceptible to relatively minor environmental manipulations early in life. This effect of handling on CPP does not seem to reflect differences in locomotor sensitivity to amphetamine. Received: 5 August 1998 / Final version: 2 November 1998     

Effects of diazepam on conditioned place preference induced by morphine or amphetamine in the rat

RATIONALE: The drug-abuse literature suggests that benzodiazepines may be preferentially abused in conjunction with opioids rather than stimulants. OBJECTIVE: To investigate possible effects of diazepam on the reinforcing effects of morphine and amphetamine. METHODS: The effects of diazepam (0.5, 1 or 2 mg/kg) on the formation and expression of conditioned place preferences (CPP) induced by morphine sulphate (0.3, 0.8, 2 and 8 mg/kg) or D-amphetamine (0.4, 0.8, 2 or 2.5 mg/kg) were studied in an unbiased CPP paradigm. The action of diazepam (1 mg/kg) on conditioned and unconditioned locomotion induced by morphine (2 mg/kg) or amphetamine (2 mg/kg) was assessed. RESULTS: Rats that received conditioning injections of morphine in one environment displayed a preference for this environment. Pre-testing injections of diazepam did not alter the magnitude of this CPP. When diazepam was given with morphine during training, rats displayed a CPP for the environment paired with the two drugs. Injections of amphetamine in one environment also induced a preference for this environment. However, pre-testing injections of diazepam blocked the expression of amphetamine-induced CPP, and co-injections of diazepam blocked the formation of amphetamine CPP. Diazepam itself did not produce a CPP nor did it alter spontaneous place preferences. Diazepam equally blocked both morphine and amphetamine unconditioned and conditioned locomotor hyperactivity. This indicates that its effects on morphine and amphetamine CPP were not due to a differential effect on locomotion. CONCLUSIONS: Diazepam interferes with the reinforcing properties of amphetamines but not of morphine. The reinforcing effects of morphine and amphetamine are pharmacologically dissociable.     

大鼠相关脑区p—CREB和c—Fos在吗啡点燃条件性位置偏爱条件下的变化

目的：研究磷酸化cAMP反应元件结合蛋白（phospho—cAMP response element binding protein,p-CREB）和c-Fos在吗啡点燃条件性位置偏爱激活大鼠海马、杏仁核表达的变化。方法：以剂量递增连续皮下（s．c．）注射吗啡6d建立吗啡诱导大鼠条件位置性偏爱（conditionedplacepreference,CPP）模型,第7天用生理盐水替代吗啡训练大鼠10d,使CPP消退,单次s．c．吗啡（4mg／kg）激发已消退的CPP。采用免疫组化技术测定吗啡激发CPP重现时大鼠海马、杏仁核p-CREB和c—Fos的变化。结果：吗啡可使大鼠产生CPP效应,吗啡4mg／kg可使已消失的CPP效应激活;吗啡诱发CPP激活时大鼠海马、杏仁核p-CREB和c—Fos的表达增加。结论：海马、杏仁核p-CREB和c—Fos蛋白的表达参与了吗啡点燃CPP重现。     

孕酮对大鼠吗啡位置偏爱效应及中枢单胺递质水平的影响

目的观察孕酮对于吗啡所致奖赏效应及脑内单胺类神经递质水平的影响。方法采用大鼠条件性位置偏爱(CPP)模型,高效液相色谱-电化学法测定大鼠伏隔核及腹侧被盖区内去甲肾上腺素(NE)、多巴胺(DA)和5羟色胺(5HT)的含量。结果吗啡(5mg·kg-1)可诱导大鼠产生稳定的CPP效应;孕酮(5、20mg·kg-1)本身不产生CPP效应,但能抑制吗啡的CPP效应。与对照组比较,吗啡CPP形成时,伏隔核内NE和DA的水平明显升高(P<0.01)。与吗啡组比较,合用5mg·kg-1或20mg·kg-1孕酮均可使伏隔核内DA水平下降(P<0.01,P<0.05);合用20mg·kg-1孕酮还可使伏隔核内的NE水平下降(P<0.01)。结论孕酮可有效抑制吗啡的CPP效应,其机制可能与降低伏隔核内DA及NE的水平有关。     

Differential mechanisms in the acquisition and expression of heroin-induced place preference

These experiments examined the neurochemical mechanisms involved in the development and expression of place conditioning produced by heroin. Conditioned place preferences (CPP) lasting up to 8 weeks were obtained with doses of 50–1000 g/kg heroin, using a regimen shown not to produce physical dependence. Naloxone pretreatment (50 g/kg) during conditioning prevented the acquisition of heroin-induced CPP, but when given only on the test day, naloxone (50 or 1000 g/kg) did not prevent the expression of heroin CPP. Clonidine disrupted the establishment of heroin CPP at 20 g/kg, but disrupted its expression only at debilitating doses (100 and 200 g/kg). Pimozide attenuated the acquisition (100 /kg) and expression (250 g/kg) of heroin CPP. Together, these results support a role for opioid and catecholamine systems in the acquisition of heroin reinforcement, but they suggest that once heroin CPP is established, its expression in opiate-free subjects is not opiate receptor mediated and is relatively refractory to pharmacological treatments which disrupt acquisition. The data challenge the notion that the conditioned effects of opiates in drug-free animals are related to the release of endogenous opioids, and they also may help to explain why naloxone and clonidine are ineffective in the treatment of opiate addiction.     

Further studies on nicotine-induced conditioned place preference in the rat

Rats received subcutaneous (SC) injections of either nicotine (NIC, 0.001 to 2.0 mg/kg) or saline (SAL, 1 ml/kg) immediately prior to conditioning sessions in a conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. NIC was paired for 3 conditioning sessions with one environment of a 3 compartment CPP apparatus; SAL was paired with another environment. The animals were then tested for place preference by determining the proportion of time spent in each compartment during a 15 min test session. A dose-response curve was obtained for the place conditioning effect of nicotine as measured by its ability to alter baseline preferences calculated from control rats. NIC's place preference, but not place aversion, effect was linearly correlated with respect to dosage within the range of 0.1 to 0.8 mg/kg. NIC, 0.8 mg/kg, induced a place preference when it was administered immediately prior to conditioning sessions, but not when administered 20, 60 or 120 min prior to the sessions. Three repeated conditioning and testing cycles, or the daily administration of NIC for 2 weeks between conditioning and testing cycles had little or no effect on NIC place conditioning. Lobeline (2, 10 and 20 mg/kg) or cotinine (1 to 50 mg/kg) failed to condition a place preference. NIC, 0.1 or 1.2 mg/kg SC, administered to rat pups on postnatal days 5 through 8, did not alter subsequent place preference (induced by 0.8 mg/kg of NIC) measured at approximately 40 and 70 days of age. Periodic measurements of spontaneous motor activity, forelimb grip strength and negative geotaxis were unaltered by the perinatal exposure to nicotine.     

Armodafinil promotes wakefulness and activates Fos in rat brain

Modafinil increases waking and labeling of Fos, a marker of neuronal activation. In the present study, armodafinil, the R-enantiomer of racemic modafinil, was administered to rats at 30 or 100 mg/kg i.p. about 5 h after lights on (circadian time 5 and near the midpoint of the sleep phase of the sleep:wake cycle) to assess its effects on sleep/wake activity and Fos activation. Armodafinil at 100 mg/kg increased wakefulness for 2 h, while 30 mg/kg armodafinil only briefly increased wakefulness. Armodafinil (30 and 100 mg/kg) also increased latencies to the onset of sleep and motor activity. Armodafinil had differential effects in increasing neuronal Fos immunolabeling 2 h after administration. Armodafinil at 100 mg/kg increased numbers of Fos-labeled neurons in striatum and anterior cingulate cortex, without affecting nucleus accumbens. Armodafinil at 30 mg/kg only increased numbers of light Fos-labeled neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex. In brainstem arousal centers, 100 mg/kg armodafinil increased numbers of Fos-labeled neurons in the tuberomammillary nucleus, pedunculopontine tegmentum, laterodorsal tegmentum, locus coeruleus, and dorsal raphe nucleus. Fos activation of these brainstem arousal centers, as well as of the cortex and striatum, is consistent with the observed arousal effects of armodafinil.     

Naloxone enhances the expression of morphine-induced conditioned place preference

The present study examined the effects of naloxone on acquisition and expression of morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP). Three groups of rats were given morphine (5 mg/kg, SC), both morphine and naloxone (1 mg/kg, SC), or saline paired with a distinctive environment. On alternating days they were given saline paired with another distinctive environment. After four exposures to each environment, the animals were given a preference test in which they had access to both environments simultaneously while under the influence of either naloxone (1 mg/kg, SC) or saline. Morphine-conditioned animals showed CPP evident as an increased amount of time spent in the drug-associated environment relative to saline controls. Rats given both naloxone and morphine during conditioning, and saline on the test day, did not show CPP. In contrast, morphine-conditioned animals given naloxone on the test day showed stronger CPP than morphine-conditioned animals given saline. These findings indicate that naloxone blocks the acquisition, but enhances the expression of morphine-induced CPP. In a separate experiment, the effects of naloxone on locomotor activity were determined during the CPP test. The results indicated that naloxone decreased locomotor activity. In morphine-conditioned animals only, naloxone also produced an increase in the amount of time per entry in the drug-associated environment. The results suggest that naloxone may enhance morphine-induced CPP by decreasing locomotor activity that may otherwise compete with expression of CPP.     

孕酮对大鼠吗啡位置偏爱效应及氨基酸递质水平的影响

目的：观察孕酮对吗啡位置偏爱效应及脑内氨基酸类神经递质水平的影响。方法：采用大鼠条件性位置偏爱（CPP）模型，高效液相色谱-电化学法测定大鼠伏隔核及腹侧被盖区中的谷氨酸（GLU）和γ-氨基丁酸（GABA）的含量。结果：吗啡可诱导大鼠产生稳定的CPP效应；孕酮本身不产生CPP效应，但能抑制吗啡诱导的CPP效应。与对照组比较，吗啡诱导的CPP形成时，大鼠伏隔核中的GLU、GABA水平和VTA中的GLU水平均显著降低（P〈0．05）。与吗啡组比较，合用孕酮均可使大鼠伏隔核中的GABA水平显著升高（P〈0．01）。结论：孕酮可有效抑制吗啡诱导的CPP效应，其机制可能与阻止吗啡降低伏隔核GABA的水平有关。     

Nicotine place preference in a biased conditioned place preference design

Conditioned place preference (CPP) is often more effectively produced with nicotine using a biased procedure. Interpretation of results can be problematic, however, given that doses that produce CPP in rats have acute anxiolytic and residual anxiogenic effects. We tested three groups of male rats in a biased, 2-chambered apparatus. Over eight conditioning days, one group (paired group) received four alternating injections of nicotine paired with the non-preferred (white) chamber and of saline in the preferred (black) chamber. A second group (counterbalanced group) received two nicotine injections each paired with the black and white chambers, with saline pairings on alternate days. A third group (saline control) received saline injections paired with both chambers. Following conditioning, the paired group spent significantly more time in the initially non-preferred chamber relative to saline-treated controls, suggesting CPP. The counterbalanced group did not show a significant preference shift, providing evidence that the observed preference shift in the paired group was not due to a drug-induced unconditioned reduction in aversion. Although this finding is consistent with the notion that nicotine produced CPP through its rewarding effects, we cannot discount the possibility of a conditioned reduction in aversion to the non-preferred chamber. For the paired group, a negative correlation was found between time spent in the white chamber before conditioning and preference shift following conditioning, suggesting that animals showing greater initial aversion to a non-preferred context are more likely to form CPP.     

Memantine and ACPC affect conditioned place preference induced by cocaine in rats

The influence of uncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist, 1-amino-3,5--dimethyl-adamantane (memantine) and partial glycineB site agonist, 1-amino-cyclopropanecarboxylic acid (ACPC) on cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) were examined in male Wistar rats. After determination of initial preference, animals were conditioned with cocaine (5 mg/kg, ip) for 3 conditioning trials, alone or in combination with memantine (7.5 mg/kg, ip) or ACPC (50.0 mg/kg, ip). Memantine prevented acquisition and expression of the place preference produced by cocaine, while ACPC prevented only acquisition effect. Neither of the NMDA antagonists displayed any reinforcing properties by itself. Our current data suggest that the NMDA receptor complex may be involved in the rewarding effect of cocaine.     

Conditioned place preference induced by morphine and morphine-6-glucuronide in mice

Morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G), an active metabolite of morphine has been shown to produce analgesia and fewer side effects than morphine, and the introduction of M6G as a new drug for treatment of postoperative pain is planned in 2007. Following morphine intake in humans, the metabolites morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G) and M6G are present in substantial concentrations and for longer periods than the parent drug. The possible reward effects of the morphine glucuronides have previously not been well studied. In the present study, conditioned place preference (CPP) was recorded after conditioning with subcutaneous injections of 5, 10, 20, 30 or 50 micromol/kg morphine or M6G, or 240 or 500 micromol/kg M3G in C57BL/6J-Bom mice, using a biased two compartment ("closed" and "open") counterbalanced paradigm. CPP was induced after treatment with both morphine and M6G with dose dependent increase up to 30 micromol/kg after treatment in the "closed" compartment. No dose response was observed in the "open" compartment, with maximal CPP after 10 micromol/kg morphine or M6G. M3G caused a tendency of condition place aversion (CPA), although not statistically significant. In the present study morphine and M6G demonstrated comparable reward effects, at doses that differed depending on which compartment the mice were conditioned in. M3G showed a tendency to exhibit aversive properties.     

Cannabinoid receptors and reward in the rat: a conditioned place preference study

RATIONALE: We wished to investigate further the hypothesis of an endogenous cannabinoid 'aversive counter-rewarding system, as the rewarding properties of cannabinoids using standard procedures remain ambiguous. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to confirm the behavioural effects of a highly potent synthetic cannabinoid agonist (HU210) and the selective cannabinoid antagonist SR 141716A using conditioned place preference (CPP). METHODS: HU210 (20, 60 and 100 microg kg(-1), SR141716A (0.25, 0.5, 2 and 3 mg kg(-1)), cocaine (15 mg kg(-1) and delta9-THC (1.5 mg kg(-1)) were given to male Lister hooded rats using an unbiased CPP design. RESULTS: SR141716A and cocaine produced place preference at all doses tested, whereas HU210 and delta9-THC produced aversion as expressed by time spent in the drug-paired compartment of the CPP apparatus. CONCLUSIONS: The aversive effects of cannabinoid agonists and the rewarding effect of the cannabinoid antagonist are suggestive of a cannabinergic tone in the rat brain. Further research is needed to determine the precise relationship of that tone with the reward pathways of the brain.     

The effects of concurrent administration of +/-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and cocaine on conditioned place preference in the adult male rat

Conditioned place preference (CPP), a commonly used model for studying the role of contextual cues in drug reward and drug seeking, was employed to explore possible behavioral interactions between (+/-)3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; "ecstasy") and cocaine. On each of four occasions, adult male rats received one of three doses of MDMA (0 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg; administered subcutaneously [s.c.]) combined with one of three doses of cocaine (0 mg/kg, 2.5 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg; administered intraperitoneally [i.p.]), and were then tested in a CPP paradigm. The results showed MDMA-induced CPP at a unit dose of 5 mg/kg, but at the 10 mg/kg dose there was a return to baseline (control) performance levels. For cocaine alone, CPP increased in a linear fashion as the drug dose was increased. Concurrent administration resulted in antagonism of each drug, but there was evidence that this pattern was reversible at higher doses of the respective drugs. These data are instructive insofar as they suggest that the behavioral and neurochemical effects of MDMA and cocaine presented in isolation are dramatically altered when the two drugs are presented in combination.     

Effect of acute nicotine on Fos protein expression in rat brain during chronic nicotine and its withdrawal

To study the cholinergic regulation of hypothalamic paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei and interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) we investigated the effects of acute nicotine (0.5 mg/kg, SC, 60 min) on Fos-like immunostaining (IS) during chronic nicotine and its withdrawal in rats. Nicotine or saline was infused to rats via osmotic minipumps (4 mg/kg/day) for 7 days; on the seventh day, the minipumps were removed surgically. In control rats, acute nicotine increased Fos IS significantly in all three brain areas studied. On the seventh day of nicotine infusion this effect partially persisted in IPN but was abolished in PVN and SON. After 72-h withdrawal nicotine-induced elevation of Fos IS was similar to that of control rats in all three areas. The observed attenuation of the response to acute nicotine during constant nicotine infusion in PVN and SON may be attributable to the desensitization of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) mediating the effects of nicotine in these areas or in their input areas. IPN is connected to midbrain limbic system, so in agreement with our earlier observations, it seems that limbic nicotinic receptors do not very readily desensitize during chronic nicotine infusion. These findings support the suggestions that there are differences in the level of desensitization of nAChRs.     

NMDA受体介导皮下注射福尔马林诱发的大鼠脊髓Fos蛋白的表达

AIM: To examine the effects of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and non-NMDA receptors on noxious stimulation-induced Fos expression in the rat spinal cord. METHODS: Formalin (2%) was injected s.c. into one hindpaw of the rat. Fos expression was exhibited by immunocytochemical technique. RESULTS: Two hours after s.c. formalin, Fos-like immunoreactive (FLI) neurons were distributed mainly in medial part of the lamina I and the outer lamina II of the ipsilateral dorsal horn. dl-2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate (APV) administered intrathecally (10 microL, 0.01, 0.1, or 1 g.L-1) before injection of formalin into a hindpaw reduced the number of FLI neurons dose-dependently in the dorsal horn (P < 0.01), while 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2, 3(1H,4H)-dione (DNQX) (1 g.L-1) was ineffective. CONCLUSION: NMDA receptor mediated noxious stimulation-induced Fos expression in the rat spinal cord.