The proposed research will evaluate the effects of acute and daily peripheral administration of morphine and cocaine, and intra-A10 injection of enkephalin on the mesocorticolimbic dopamine and ventral striatopallidal GABA systems in rats. In vivo behavioral and neurochemical techniques will be used, and in vitro receptor density and mRNA levels will be measured. All three compounds produce an acute motor stimulant response, and following daily administration the motor stimulant response is augmented. It is hypothesized that daily administration of morphine, cocaine and enkephalin produces behavioral sensitization by modifying the response of A10 dopamine neurons to afferent input, and that this will be reflected in alterations in dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens and A10 region, and in GABA release in the ventral pallidum and A10 region. Release will be estimated by measuring extracellular dopamine and GABA levels with intracranial dialysis. It is also proposed that behavioral sensitization may be reflected in changes in dopamine D1, dopamine D2, mu opioid, delta opioid or GABAA receptors in discrete brain nuclei as measured by receptor autoradiography. Also, in situ hybridization will be used to determine the effects of acute and daily drug treatment on mRNA for tyrosine hydroxylase, glutamic acid decarboxylase, Gi2 subunit or D2 receptors. Finally, the effect of manipulating: 1) D1, D2 or GABAB receptors, 2) potassium channels, or 3) the Gi/Go subunits of GTP binding protein, in the A10 region on the acute and daily effect of cocaine, morphine or enkephalin will be determined. Behavioral sensitization produced by the long-term use of cocaine is manifested clinically as an augmentation of paranoid behaviors. By determining the underlying anatomical substrates and cellular mechanisms mediated sensitization to cocaine and opioids in rats, it is possible that more rational therapy can be designed for intervention in human drug abuse where sensitization is thought to be a factor.
| Roberts-Wolfe, Douglas; Bobadilla, Ana-Clara; Heinsbroek, Jasper A et al. (2018) Drug Refraining and Seeking Potentiate Synapses on Distinct Populations of Accumbens Medium Spiny Neurons. J Neurosci 38:7100-7107 |
| Spencer, Sade; Neuhofer, Daniela; Chioma, Vivian C et al. (2018) A Model of ?9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Self-administration and Reinstatement That Alters Synaptic Plasticity in Nucleus Accumbens. Biol Psychiatry 84:601-610 |
| Neuhofer, Daniela; Kalivas, Peter (2018) Metaplasticity at the addicted tetrapartite synapse: A common denominator of drug induced adaptations and potential treatment target for addiction. Neurobiol Learn Mem 154:97-111 |
| Kupchik, Yonatan M; Kalivas, Peter W (2017) The Direct and Indirect Pathways of the Nucleus Accumbens are not What You Think. Neuropsychopharmacology 42:369-370 |
| Smith, Alexander C W; Scofield, Michael D; Heinsbroek, Jasper A et al. (2017) Accumbens nNOS Interneurons Regulate Cocaine Relapse. J Neurosci 37:742-756 |
| Taniguchi, Makoto; Carreira, Maria B; Cooper, Yonatan A et al. (2017) HDAC5 and Its Target Gene, Npas4, Function in the Nucleus Accumbens to Regulate Cocaine-Conditioned Behaviors. Neuron 96:130-144.e6 |
| Brown, Robyn Mary; Kupchik, Yonatan Michael; Spencer, Sade et al. (2017) Addiction-like Synaptic Impairments in Diet-Induced Obesity. Biol Psychiatry 81:797-806 |
| Bobadilla, Ana-Clara; Garcia-Keller, Constanza; Heinsbroek, Jasper A et al. (2017) Accumbens Mechanisms for Cued Sucrose Seeking. Neuropsychopharmacology 42:2377-2386 |
| Spencer, Sade; Garcia-Keller, Constanza; Roberts-Wolfe, Douglas et al. (2017) Cocaine Use Reverses Striatal Plasticity Produced During Cocaine Seeking. Biol Psychiatry 81:616-624 |
| Heinsbroek, Jasper A; Neuhofer, Daniela N; Griffin 3rd, William C et al. (2017) Loss of Plasticity in the D2-Accumbens Pallidal Pathway Promotes Cocaine Seeking. J Neurosci 37:757-767 |
Showing the most recent 10 out of 241 publications
