Scripps VIVO scripps research logo

  • Index
  • Log in
  • Home
  • People
  • Organizations
  • Research
  • Events
Search form
As of April 1st VIVO Scientific Profiles will no longer updated for faculty, and the link to VIVO will be removed from the library website. Faculty profile pages will continue to be updated via Interfolio. VIVO will continue being used behind the scenes to update graduate student profiles. Please contact helplib@scripps.edu if you have questions.
How to download citations from VIVO | Alternative profile options

Cocaine self-administration is not dependent upon mesocortical α1 noradrenergic signaling

Academic Article
uri icon
  • Overview
  • Research
  • Identity
  • Additional Document Info
  • View All
scroll to property group menus

Overview

authors

  • Ecke, L. E.
  • Elmer, G. I.
  • Suto, Nobuyoshi

publication date

  • March 2012

journal

  • Neuroreport  Journal

abstract

  • The rewarding properties of psychomotor stimulants are traditionally thought to be independent of norepinephrine. Recent findings, however, suggest that local noradrenergic signaling through α1 receptors in the medial prefrontal cortex and the ventral tegmental area - brain regions critically important in natural and drug rewards - is in a position to influence stimulant reward. Despite this controversy, the contribution of this targeted signaling to stimulant self-administration has not been directly assessed. We have thus examined whether pharmacological blockade of α1 receptors in the medial prefrontal cortex and ventral tegmental area alters cocaine self-administration. Rats were trained to lever-press for cocaine (1.0 mg/kg/infusion) under a fixed ratio 1 schedule of reinforcement for 10 days. After training, the rats received a bilateral microinjection of an α1 noradrenergic antagonist (terazosin: 1.0, 5.0, or 10 mM/side), a D1 dopaminergic antagonist (SCH23390: 12.3 mM/side), or saline into either the medial prefrontal cortex or ventral tegmental area immediately before a cocaine self-administration session. Although SCH23390 significantly increased cocaine self-administration when injected into either brain region, terazosin, at all doses and sites tested, failed to alter this behavior. Thus, the maintenance of cocaine self-administration appears to be under the influence of D1 dopaminergic, rather than α1 noradrenergic, signaling at these mesocortical sites.

subject areas

  • Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists
  • Animals
  • Benzazepines
  • Cocaine
  • Conditioning, Operant
  • Dopamine
  • Dopamine Antagonists
  • Male
  • Norepinephrine
  • Prazosin
  • Prefrontal Cortex
  • Rats
  • Reinforcement (Psychology)
  • Reward
  • Self Administration
  • Ventral Tegmental Area
scroll to property group menus

Research

keywords

  • D1 receptors
  • alpha 1 receptors
  • cocaine self-administration
  • dopamine
  • medial prefrontal cortex
  • norepinephrine
  • ventral tegmental area
scroll to property group menus

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC3296896

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0959-4965

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1097/WNR.0b013e3283517628

PubMed ID

  • 22336873
scroll to property group menus

Additional Document Info

start page

  • 325

end page

  • 330

volume

  • 23

issue

  • 5

©2022 The Scripps Research Institute | Terms of Use | Powered by VIVO

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Support