The ultimate goal of this proposal is to investigate the degree to which chronic exposure to one drug of abuse (e.g. alcohol) may increase the propensity to self-administer another distinct type of drug (e.g. cocaine). The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system appears to regulate, in part, the acute reinforcing properties of both ethanol (EtOH) and cocaine. The hypothesis of the present proposal is that chronic EtOH drinking enhances the reinforcing properties of cocaine as a result of neuroadaptations in the mesolimbic DA pathway. The intracranial self-administration (ICSA) technique has been used to reliably identify specific brain regions involved in the initiation of response-contingent behaviors associated with the delivery of a reinforcer. Thus, ICSA will be used to evaluate the reinforcing properties of cocaine in specific limbic brain areas. In addition, the microinjection-microdialysis paradigm has been successfully used to quantify neurochemical responses to the application of drugs of abuse to discrete brain regions. This technique will be used to measure DA-ergic response in the nucleus accumbens (Acb) following acute cocaine administration into the ventral tegmental area (VTA). The overall purpose of this study is to establish whether or not chronic EtOH drinking increases the sensitivity of the mesolimbic DA pathway to the reinforcing effects of cocaine in P rats, and if this increased sensitivity involves changes in DA transmission. ? ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31)
Project #
5F31AA016429-03
Application #
7483676
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAA1-HH (61))
Program Officer
Urbanas, Diana
Project Start
2006-09-01
Project End
2009-08-31
Budget Start
2008-09-01
Budget End
2009-08-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2008
Total Cost
$28,844
Indirect Cost
Name
Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
603007902
City
Indianapolis
State
IN
Country
United States
Zip Code
46202