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Suppression of c‐fos induction in the nucleus accumbens prevents acquisition but not expression of morphine‐conditioned place preference
Author(s) -
Tolliver Bryan K.,
Sganga Michael W.,
Sharp Frank R.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1460-9568.2000.00214.x
Subject(s) - nucleus accumbens , conditioned place preference , morphine , c fos , immediate early gene , pharmacology , addiction , drugs of abuse , psychology , chemistry , dopamine , gene expression , neuroscience , medicine , gene , biochemistry
The c‐fos immediate‐early gene is induced by morphine and other drugs of abuse in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a mesolimbic region implicated in drug abuse and reward. This study examined the role of c‐fos in the acquisition and expression of the conditioned place paradigm (CPP) in the rat by suppressing Fos protein expression with c‐fos antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs). CPP was completely prevented by c‐fos antisense ODN infused bilaterally into the NAc prior to each systemic morphine injection, whereas sense and missense NAc injections had no effect on CPP. NAc administration of c‐fos antisense ODN after the last systemic morphine conditioning session did not affect the expression of morphine‐CPP. These results suggest that c‐fos expression in NAc is necessary for the acquisition but not expression of morphine‐CPP, and they have important implications for understanding conditioned behaviours and drug craving and addiction.