Ethanol sensitization in a neurodevelopmental lesion model of schizophrenia in rats.

Full Abstract

Substance use disorder comorbidity in schizophrenia may reflect dysfunctional cortical-striatal-limbic circuitry commonly involved in the addiction process and the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Rats with neonatal ventral hippocampal lesions (NVHL) demonstrate post-adolescent onset of schizophrenia-like symptoms and increased addiction vulnerability in paradigms using cocaine in adulthood. Here, we investigated response profiles of young adult NVHL vs. SHAM rats to ethanol, an addictive drug with many psychopharmacological effects divergent from those of cocaine, in a locomotor sensitization paradigm. Over 15 days of daily injections of saline, low (0.15 g/kg) or high (1.0 g/kg) doses of ethanol, NVHL rats showed stimulatory effects at the low dose compared to saline and high-dose conditions, while SHAM rats showed expected patterns of dose-dependent suppression of locomotor activity. In a challenge session 2 weeks later in which a moderate dose (0.25 g/kg) of ethanol was given to all subjects, NVHL rats with history of prior ethanol exposure showed greater locomotor activity consistent with installment of alcohol-induced sensitization not present in SHAMs. These findings provide further evidence of enhanced short- and long-term responsivity to abused drugs in a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia, and may reflect potentiation of common mechanisms of addiction shared between pharmacologically diverse addictive drugs.

Learn Faster Today Improve your study skills

Author information

Author/s: Conroy, Susan K (SK); Rodd, Zachary (Z); Chambers, R Andrew (RA);

Affiliation: Laboratory for Translational Neuroscience of Dual Diagnosis Disorders, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, 791 Union Drive Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.

Grants: K08 DA019850-01 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior (Pharmacol Biochem Behav), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Feb; vol 86 (issue 2) : pp 386-94

Dates: Created 2007/02/26; Completed 2007/04/16; Revised 2007/12/03;

PMID: 16934862, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article (including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.

MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Animals
Animals, Newborn - physiology
Central Nervous System Depressants - blood; pharmacology
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Ethanol - blood; pharmacology
Female
Hippocampus - growth & development; injuries

Limbic System - drug effects; metabolism
Motor Activity - drug effects
Pregnancy
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Schizophrenic Psychology
Stereotyped Behavior - drug effects

Associated Chemicals: Central Nervous System Depressants (0) ; Ethanol (64-17-5)

These are the highest related articles currently in the database:

See 100+ related articles.