Incubation of cocaine-craving relates to glutamate over-flow within ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

TitleIncubation of cocaine-craving relates to glutamate over-flow within ventromedial prefrontal cortex.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2016
AuthorsShin CB, Serchia MM, Shahin JR, Ruppert-Majer MA, Kippin TE, Szumlinski KK
JournalNeuropharmacology
Volume102
Pagination103-10
Date Published2016 Mar
ISSN1873-7064
KeywordsAnimals, Cocaine, Craving, Cues, Dopamine, Glutamic Acid, Prefrontal Cortex, Rats, Self Administration
Abstract

Craving elicited by drug-associated cues intensifies across protracted drug abstinence - a phenomenon termed "incubation of craving" - and drug-craving in human addicts correlates with frontal cortical hyperactivity. Herein, we employed a rat model of cue-elicited cocaine-craving to test the hypothesis that the time-dependent incubation of cue-elicited cocaine-craving is associated with adaptations in dopamine and glutamate neurotransmission within the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Rats were trained to self-administer intravenous cocaine (6 h/day × 10 days) and underwent in vivo microdialysis procedures during 2 h-tests for cue-elicited cocaine-craving at either 3 or 30 days withdrawal. Controls rats were trained to either self-administer sucrose pellets or received no primary reinforcer. Cocaine-seeking rats exhibited a withdrawal-dependent increase and decrease, respectively, in cue-elicited glutamate and dopamine release. These patterns of neurochemical change were not observed in either control condition. Thus, cue-hypersensitivity of vmPFC glutamate terminals is a biochemical correlate of incubated cocaine-craving that may stem from dopamine dysregulation in this region.

DOI10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.10.038
Alternate JournalNeuropharmacology
PubMed ID26522436
PubMed Central IDPMC4698200
Grant ListR01 DA024038 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States
R01 DA027525 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States
DA024038 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States
/ / Intramural NIH HHS / United States