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Blockade of dopamine D 3 receptors in the nucleus accumbens and central amygdala inhibits incubation of cocaine craving in rats
Author(s) -
Xi ZhengXiong,
Li Xia,
Li Jie,
Peng XiaoQing,
Song Rui,
Gaál József,
Gardner Eliot L.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
addiction biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.445
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1369-1600
pISSN - 1355-6215
DOI - 10.1111/j.1369-1600.2012.00486.x
Subject(s) - nucleus accumbens , basolateral amygdala , craving , dopamine , endocrinology , incubation , striatum , amygdala , self administration , pharmacology , medicine , chemistry , extended amygdala , psychology , neuroscience , addiction , biochemistry
Cue‐induced drug seeking progressively increases over time of withdrawal from drug self‐administration in rats, a phenomenon called ‘incubation of craving’. The underlying mechanisms have been linked to increased expression of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor and GluR2 ‐lacking AMPA receptors in the mesolimbic dopamine ( DA ) system and also to increased extracellular signal‐regulated kinase activation in the central amygdala ( CeA ). However, it remains unclear whether any DA mechanism is also involved in incubation of craving. Recent research demonstrates that cue‐induced cocaine seeking appears to parallel increased DA D 3 , but not D 1 or D 2 , receptor expression in the nucleus accumbens ( NAc ) of rats over time of withdrawal, suggesting possible involvement of D 3 receptors ( D 3 Rs ) in incubation of cocaine craving. Here, we report that systemic or local administration of SB ‐277011 A , a highly selective D 3 R antagonist, into the NAc (core and shell) or the CeA , but not the dorsal striatum or basolateral amygdala, significantly inhibits expression of incubation of cocaine craving in rats after 2–30 days of withdrawal from previous cocaine self‐administration but had no effect on sucrose‐seeking behavior in rats after 10–30 days of withdrawal. These data suggest that DA D 3 Rs in both the NAc and the CeA play an important role in incubation of cocaine craving in rats and support the potential utility of D 3 R antagonists in the treatment of cocaine addiction.