Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior
-
Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. · Jul 2009
Escalation of food-maintained responding and sensitivity to the locomotor stimulant effects of cocaine in mice.
Escalation of drug self-administration is a consequence of extended drug access and is thought to be specifically related to addiction, but few studies have investigated whether intake of non-drug reinforcers may also escalate with extended-access. The goal of these studies was to determine the effects of limited and extended-access to food reinforcers on behavioral and pharmacological endpoints in mice. In distinct groups, responding on a lever was maintained by liquid reinforcement, or nose-poke responses were maintained by sucrose pellets or liquid food in sessions lasting 1 h (limited-access) or 10 h (extended-access). ⋯ Finally, extended reinforcer access leading to behavioral escalation was accompanied by an increased sensitivity to the psychostimulant effects of cocaine compared to limited-access. These findings indicate that behavioral escalation can develop as a consequence of extended-access to a non-drug reinforcer, although both the nature of the reinforcer (liquid versus solid food) and the topography of the operant response (lever versus nose-poke) modulate its development. These data also suggest that some of the behavioral and pharmacological corrolaries of behavioral escalation observed following extended-access to drug self-administration may not be due to drug exposure, but rather, may result from basic behavioral processes which underlie operant responding maintained by appetitive stimuli.
-
Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. · Jul 2009
Transient forebrain over-expression of CRF induces plasma corticosterone and mild behavioural changes in adult conditional CRF transgenic mice.
Converging findings support a role for extra-hypothalamic CRF in the mediation of the stress response. The influence of CRF in the amygdala is well established, while less is known of its role in other areas of the forebrain where CRF and CRF(1) receptors are also expressed. In the present study CRF was genetically induced to allow forebrain-restricted expression in a temporally-defined manner at any time during the mouse lifespan. This mouse model may offer the possibility to establish a model of the pathogenesis of recurrent episodes of depression. ⋯ Transient induction of CRF expression in mouse forebrain was associated with endocrine and mild anxiety-like behavioural changes consistent with enhanced central CRF neurotransmission. This mouse allows the implementation of regimens with longer or repeated periods of induction which may model the initial stages of the pathology underlying recurrent depressive disorders.
-
Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. · Jun 2009
Differences in basal and morphine-induced FosB/DeltaFosB and pCREB immunoreactivities in dopaminergic brain regions of alcohol-preferring AA and alcohol-avoiding ANA rats.
Besides alcohol, alcohol-preferring AA and alcohol-avoiding ANA rats differ also with respect to other abused drugs. To study the molecular basis of these differences, we examined the expression of two transcription factors implicated in addiction, DeltaFosB and pCREB, in brain dopaminergic regions of AA and ANA rats. The effects of morphine and nicotine were studied to relate the behavioral and molecular changes induced by these drugs. ⋯ The enhanced nicotine-induced locomotor sensitization found in AA compared with ANA rats seems to depend in addition to dopamine and DeltaFosB on other mechanisms. These findings suggest that enhanced sensitivity of AA rats to morphine is related to augmented morphine-induced expression of FosB/DeltaFosB and morphine-induced reduction of pCREB levels. Moreover, altered innate expression of FosB/DeltaFosB and pCREB in AA rats is likely to affect the sensitivity of these rats to abused drugs.
-
Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. · Jun 2009
Synergistic antinociception of intrathecal sildenafil with clonidine in the rat formalin test.
Spinal sildenafil (phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor) and clonidine (alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonist) have shown antinociception. The author examined the properties of drug interaction after concurrent administration of intrathecal sildenafil-clonidine, and further clarified the reciprocity of sildenafil and clonidine. Catheters were inserted into the intrathecal space of male Sprague-Dawley rats. ⋯ These results suggest that sildenafil and clonidine, and the mixture of the two are effective against acute pain and facilitated pain state at the spinal level. Furthermore, synergism was noted after delivery of sildenafil-clonidine mixture. The antinociception of sildenafil can be modulated by spinal alpha-2 adrenoceptor, while the effect of clonidine is independent on the guanyly cyclase.
-
Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. · May 2009
Anti-nociceptive synergism of morphine and gabapentin in neuropathic pain induced by chronic constriction injury.
In order to detect an anti-nociceptive interaction between morphine and gabapentin, the anti-allodynic and anti-hyperalgesic effects of these drugs, administered either separately or in combination, were determined using the von Frey and acetone tests in a rat model of neuropathic pain (Bennett model). Morphine and gabapentin individually induced moderate attenuation of mechanical hyperalgesia, whereas the morphine and gabapentin combination completely decreased hyperalgesia. ⋯ The area under the curve (AUC) of the anti-allodynic or anti-hyperalgesic effects produced by the combinations were significantly greater than the theoretical sum of effects produced by each drug alone or similar to the theoretical sum. The analysis of the effect, expressed as the AUC of the time course, supports the hypothesis that the combination of these drugs is useful in neuropathic pain therapy.