The induction of behavioural sensitization is associated with cocaine-induced structural plasticity in the core (but not shell) of the nucleus accumbens

Repeated exposure to cocaine increases the density of dendritic spines on medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens (Acb) and pyramidal cells in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). To determine if this is associated with the development of psychomotor sensitization, rats were given daily i.p. injections of 15 mg/kg of cocaine (or saline) for 8 days, either in their home cage (which failed to induce significant psychomotor sensitization) or in a distinct and relatively novel test cage (which induced robust psychomotor sensitization). Their brains were obtained 2 weeks after the last injection and processed for Golgi–Cox staining. In the Acb core (AcbC) cocaine treatment increased spine density only in the group that developed psychomotor sensitization (i.e. in the Novel but not Home group), and there was a significant positive correlation between the degree of psychomotor sensitization and spine density. In the Acb shell (AcbS) cocaine increased spine density to the same extent in both groups; i.e. independent of psychomotor sensitization. In the mPFC cocaine increased spine density in both groups, but to a significantly greater extent in the Novel group. Furthermore, when rats were treated at Home with a higher dose of cocaine (30 mg/kg), cocaine now induced psychomotor sensitization in this context, and also increased spine density in the AcbC. Thus, the context in which cocaine is experienced influences its ability to reorganize patterns of synaptic connectivity in the Acb and mPFC, and the induction of psychomotor sensitization is associated with structural plasticity in the AcbC and mPFC, but not the AcbS.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73532/1/j.1460-9568.2004.03612.x.pd

Deletion of the 5-HT(3A)-receptor subunit blunts the induction of cocaine sensitization

Serotonin (5-HT) receptors are classified into seven groups (5-HT1–7), comprising at least 14 structurally and pharmacologically distinct receptor subtypes. Pharma-cological antagonism of ionotropic 5-HT3 receptors has been shown to modulate both behavioral and neuro-chemical aspects of the induction of sensitization to cocaine. It is not known, however, if specific molecular subunits of the 5-HT3 receptor influence the development of cocaine sensitization. To address this question, we studied the effects of acute and chronic intermittent cocaine administration in mice with a targeted deletion of the gene for the 5-HT3A-receptor subunit (5-HT3A ?/?). 5-HT3A (?/?) mice showed blunted induction of cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization as compared with wild-type littermate controls. 5-HT3A (?/?) mice did not differ from wild-type littermate controls on measures of basal motor activity or response to acute cocaine treatment. Enhanced locomotor response to saline injection following cocaine sensitization was observed equally in 5-HT3A (?/?) and wild-type mice suggesting similar conditioned effects associated with chronic cocaine treatment. These data show a role for the 5-HT3A-receptor subunit in the induction of behavioral sensitization to cocaine and suggest that the 5-HT3A molecular subunit modulates neurobehavioral adaptations to cocaine, which may underlie aspects of addiction