Destruction of dopaminergic nerve terminals in nucleus accumbens: effect on d-amphetamine self-administration.
Control rats initiate self-administration of d-amphetamine and achieve stable injection rates within 7-10 days. Rats in which dopamine nerve terminals in nucleus accumbens were destroyed by bilateral microinjections of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) did not initiate self-administration of d-amphetamine when tested for as long as 19 days. In rats previously trained to self-administer d-amphetamine, 6-OHDA injections into nucleus accumbens abolished d-amphetamine self-administration. These results suggest that dopaminergic nerve terminals in nucleus accumbens are necessary for both the acquisition and maintenance of d-amphetamine self-administration.
D000818:Animals; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D006892:Hydroxydopamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000502:physiology*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D012646:Self Administration / Q000523:psychology; D012686:Septal Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*
D006892:Hydroxydopamines; D003913:Dextroamphetamine; D004298:Dopamine