Research article summary (published 29 Apr 1998):

The discriminative stimulus properties of cocaine: effects of microinfusion of cocaine, a 5-HT1A agonist or antagonist, into the ventral tegmental area.

Full Abstract

Serotonin (5-HT) afferents may modulate the dopamine mesoaccumbens circuit, which has been shown to be critically involved in the locomotor stimulatory, discriminative stimulus, and rewarding properties of cocaine. In the present study, we investigated the role of 5-HT1A receptors in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in mediating the discriminative stimulus effects of cocaine. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to discriminate cocaine (10 mg/kg) from saline in a two-lever, water-reinforced FR 20 task. After acquiring the cocaine-saline discrimination, rats were stereotaxically implanted with bilateral guide cannulae into the VTA or adjacent substantia nigra reticulata (SNR). Intraperitoneal administration of cocaine (0.625-10 mg/kg) produced a dose-related increase in drug-lever responding. Both intra-VTA and intra-SNR infusion of cocaine (12.5-50 microg/0.5 microl/side) engendered primarily saline-like responding. Microinjection of the 5-HT1A agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-N-propylamino) tetralin (DPAT; 0.1-10 microg/0.5 microl/side) or the 5-HT1A antagonist WAY 100635 (0.01-1.0 microg/0.5 microl/side) into the VTA or SNR did not substitute for the systemic cocaine cue. Further, intra-VTA or intra-SNR DPAT or WAY 100635 in combination with systemic doses of cocaine did not alter (i.e., attenuate or potentiate) the systemic cocaine cue. Overall, these data indicate that 5-HT1A receptors in the VTA do not mediate or modulate the discriminative stimulus effects of cocaine in the rat.

Author information

Author/s: De La Garza, R (R); Callahan, P M (PM); Cunningham, K A (KA);

Affiliation: University of Texas Medical Branch, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Galveston 77555-1031, USA.

Grants: DA 05638 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS) ; DA 05708 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS) ; DA 06511 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: Psychopharmacology (Psychopharmacology (Berl)), published in GERMANY. (Language: eng)

Reference: 1998-May; vol 137 (issue 1) : pp 1-6

Dates: Created 1998/08/06; Completed 1998/08/06; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 9631950, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin - pharmacology Animals Cocaine - administration & dosage; pharmacology Discrimination Learning - drug effects Dose-Response Relationship, Drug Male Microinjections

Piperazines - pharmacology Pyridines - pharmacology Rats Rats, Sprague-Dawley Receptors, Serotonin - drug effects; physiology Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT1 Ventral Tegmental Area - drug effects

Associated Chemicals: Piperazines (0) ; Pyridines (0) ; Receptors, Serotonin (0) ; Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT1 (0) ; WAY 100635 (146714-97-8) ; Cocaine (50-36-2) ; 8-Hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (78950-78-4)

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