Locomotor response to novelty does not predict cocaine place preference conditioning in rats.
Previous studies have demonstrated that rats showing a strong locomotor response to a novel environment have a greater locomotor response to psycho-stimulant drugs and more rapidly acquire intravenous self-administration of amphetamine. In this report, we examined whether these high-responder (HR) rats would develop place-preference conditioning with cocaine more readily than low-responder (LR) rats. Neither group of rats developed conditioned place preference for cocaine, 2.5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (IP). Both groups of rats developed conditioned place preference for cocaine, 5.0 and 15 mg/kg, IP. However, we could not find any evidence of enhanced conditioning in the HR rats. HR rats did show a greater locomotor response to cocaine, 15 mg/kg, IP, and the locomotor response of HR and LR rats to cocaine correlated with their response to a novel environment. We conclude that using the place-preference procedure, HR and LR rats do not differ in the rewarding effect of cocaine.
Gong
W
W
Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Neill
D B
DB
Justice
J B
JB
D000818:Animals; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects*; D004777:Environment; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012201:Reward
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D003042:Cocaine