title: The dopamine D2 receptor agonists, quinpirole and bromocriptine produce conditioned place preferences.
abstract: 1. The conditioned place preference paradigm was used to examine the role of the D2 receptor in mediating the reinforcing effects of dopamine (DA) agonists. 2. During the 3-day pre-exposure phase, rats explored two distinctive end compartments which were adjoined by a small tunnel. During the 8-day conditioning phase, groups of rats were treated with the selective D2 receptor agonists, quinpirole (0.01, 0.025, 0.05, 0.10, 0.25, 1.0 and 5.0 mg/kg IP) or bromocriptine (0, 0.01, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg IP) and confined to one compartment for 30 min. On alternate days, rats received vehicle injections and were placed in the opposite compartment. Test days occurred over the remaining 3 days during which untreated animals explored both compartments. 3. Rats conditioned with quinpirole or bromocriptine showed significant increases in time spent in the drug-paired environment from pre-exposure to test indicating the establishment of conditioned place preferences. 4. This suggests a functional role for the D2 receptor in mediating the rewarding effects of DA agonists.
authors.affiliation: Dept. Psychol., Queen's University, Kingston, Canada.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Dickson
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Beninger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001971:Bromocriptine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004873:Ergolines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D019257:Quinpirole; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D004873:Ergolines; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D019257:Quinpirole; D001971:Bromocriptine