Drug abuse among women is a major societal health problem that has been under-investigated until recently. Current advances show statistically significant differences between males and females in all phases of drug exposure. Clinical studies demonstrate that females are more susceptible to relapse compared to males and that this relapse is accompanied by negative emotions including anxiety. Physiological fluctuations during drug exposure and following abstinence from the drug may contribute to female sensitivity to the anxiogenic effects of cocaine. The guiding hypothesis of this proposal is that female hormones, via actions on dopamine and opioid systems, may contribute to the increase in anxiety during cocaine withdrawal. These studies will seek to examine anxiety-like behaviors in female rats during abstinence from chronic cocaine exposure and correlate these with hormonal fluctuations. The contribution of 6-opioid receptors in cocaine-induced anxiety will also be determined.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31)
Project #
5F31DA021981-03
Application #
7645076
Study Section
Human Development Research Subcommittee (NIDA)
Program Officer
Babecki, Beth
Project Start
2007-05-22
Project End
2009-09-15
Budget Start
2009-05-22
Budget End
2009-09-15
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$21,016
Indirect Cost
Name
Thomas Jefferson University
Department
Neurosciences
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
053284659
City
Philadelphia
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
19107
Ambrose-Lanci, Lisa M; Sterling, R C; Van Bockstaele, Elisabeth J (2010) Cocaine withdrawal-induced anxiety in females: impact of circulating estrogen and potential use of delta-opioid receptor agonists for treatment. J Neurosci Res 88:816-24
Ambrose-Lanci, Lisa M; Sterling, Robert C; Weinstein, Stephen P et al. (2009) The influence of intake urinalysis, psychopathology measures, and menstrual cycle phase on treatment compliance. Am J Addict 18:167-72
Ambrose-Lanci, Lisa M; Peiris, Niluk B; Unterwald, Ellen M et al. (2008) Cocaine withdrawal-induced trafficking of delta-opioid receptors in rat nucleus accumbens. Brain Res 1210:92-102