Addiction biology
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Shati/Nat8l is a novel N-acetyltransferase identified in the brain of mice treated with methamphetamine (METH). Shati/Nat8l mRNA is expressed in various brain areas, including the prefrontal cortex (PFC), where the expression level is higher than that in other brain regions. Shati/Nat8l overexpression in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) attenuates the pharmacological response to METH via mGluR3. ⋯ These results indicate that Shati/Nat8l overexpression in the mPFC attenuates METH-induced CPP by decreasing extracellular DA in the NAc. In contrast, Shati/Nat8l-mPFC overexpression did not alter METH-induced hyperlocomotion. This study demonstrates that Shati/Nat8l in the mPFC attenuates METH reward-seeking behaviour but not the psychomotor activity of METH.