The development of genetically altered mice provides a novel way to examine the neurobiological mechanisms underlying both the reinforcing and addictive aspects of drugs of abuse. For example, mice in which the CB1 receptor has been altered can be used to assess the role of these receptors in the reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse. Although well-developed self-administration models exist for examining the reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse in rats, very few self-administration models have been developed for mice and those that do exist have not explored drug self-administration under an extensive range of conditions. Therefore, the current proposal has two goals. One of those goals is to develop drug self-administration procedures in mice that can be used to assess the consequences of prolonged drug exposure on the reinforcing effects of cocaine as well as the process of reinstatement (or relapse) following periods of drug deprivation. The second goal is to employ this set of procedures to assess the role of the CB1 receptor system in cocaine's reinforcing effects and relapse to cocaine seeking.
| Ward, Sara Jane; Rosenberg, Marisa; Dykstra, Linda A et al. (2009) The CB1 antagonist rimonabant (SR141716) blocks cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking and other context and extinction phenomena predictive of relapse. Drug Alcohol Depend 105:248-55 |
| Ward, Sara Jane; Walker, Ellen A (2009) Sex and cannabinoid CB1 genotype differentiate palatable food and cocaine self-administration behaviors in mice. Behav Pharmacol 20:605-13 |
| Miller, Laurence L; Ward, Sara J; Dykstra, Linda A (2008) Chronic unpredictable stress enhances cocaine-conditioned place preference in type 1 cannabinoid receptor knockout mice. Behav Pharmacol 19:575-81 |
| Ward, Sara Jane; Walker, Ellen A; Dykstra, Linda A (2007) Effect of cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716A and CB1 receptor knockout on cue-induced reinstatement of Ensure and corn-oil seeking in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 32:2592-600 |
