Lack of altered startle responding in rats following termination of self-administered or noncontingently infused cocaine.
The effect of cocaine on the acoustic startle response was assessed in rats trained to intravenously self-administer cocaine (0.25 mg/injection) and in rats continuously infused through an intraperitoneal catheter with up to 170 mg/kg/day of cocaine. Neither a 12-h self-administration "binge" nor 13 days' continuous infusion produced significant effects on the startle response as compared to controls up to 24 h after termination of drug exposure. These findings suggest that prolonged cocaine administration may result in a dependence syndrome dissimilar to that observed with CNS depressant drugs or alcohol.
Mansbach
R S
RS
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond 23298-0613.
Markou
A
A
Patrick
G A
GA
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000818:Animals; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000187:drug effects*; D012646:Self Administration; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology
D003042:Cocaine