title: Electrophysiological effects of cocaine in the rat nucleus accumbens: microiontophoretic studies.
abstract: The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is intricately involved in maintaining cocaine self-administration. Cocaine inhibits the firing of most NAc cells due to its ability to prevent the reuptake of dopamine (DA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), both of which predominantly inhibit NAc cell discharge in vivo. The present studies investigated the roles of DA and 5-HT in the effects of iontophoretically applied cocaine. Most NAc cells exhibited negative/positive waveforms (Type I cells). These cells were significantly more sensitive to cocaine than Type II cells (positive/negative waveforms), apparently due to differences in the actions of 5-HT. Whereas DA was equipotent at inhibiting Type I and Type II cells, 5-HT inhibited Type I cells but, primarily excited Type II cells. Thus the ability of cocaine to potentiate the effects of both DA and 5-HT resulted in a pronounced inhibition of Type I cells, whereas the 5-HT-mediated excitation of Type II cells appeared to reduce DA-mediated inhibition. Combined administration of selective DA (GBR 12909) and 5-HT (fluoxetine) uptake inhibitors was required to mimic the effects of cocaine on Type I and Type II NAc cells. Acute depletion of DA (86%) produced by alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine (AMPT) significantly reduced the inhibitory effects of cocaine on all NAc cells. Acute depletion of 5-HT (74%) produced by p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) significantly reduced the inhibitory effect of cocaine on Type I cells, but it significantly enhanced the inhibition of Type II cells. Simultaneous reduction of DA and 5-HT levels produced a significantly greater reduction of cocaine-induced inhibition of Type I neurons than did AMPT or PCPA alone. These findings are discussed in relation to proposed roles of DA and 5-HT in cocaine self-administration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Health Sciences, Chicago Medical School, Illinois.
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: X T
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Henry
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010134:Fenclonine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000494:pharmacology; D007478:Iontophoresis; D008297:Male; D008781:Methyltyrosines / Q000494:pharmacology; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects; D012701:Serotonin / Q000494:pharmacology; D019805:alpha-Methyltyrosine
chemical_list: D008781:Methyltyrosines; D010879:Piperazines; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D005473:Fluoxetine; D012701:Serotonin; D019805:alpha-Methyltyrosine; C043425:vanoxerine; D003042:Cocaine; D010134:Fenclonine; D004298:Dopamine