Common neural substrates for the addictive properties of nicotine and cocaine.
Regional brain activation was assessed by mapping of Fos-related protein expression in rats trained to self-administration of intravenous nicotine and cocaine. Both drugs produced specific overlapping patterns of activation in the shell and the core of the nucleus accumbens, medial prefrontal cortex, and medial caudate areas, but not in the amygdala. Thus, the reinforcing properties of cocaine and nicotine map on selected structures of the terminal fields of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system, supporting the idea that common substrates for these addictive drugs exist.
Pich
E M
EM
Geneva Biomedical Research Institute, Glaxo-Wellcome R&D, CH-1228 Geneva, Switzerland.
Pagliusi
S R
SR
Tessari
M
M
Talabot-Ayer
D
D
Hooft van Huijsduijnen
R
R
Chiamulera
C
C
D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012646:Self Administration; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000378:metabolism
D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D009538:Nicotine; D004247:DNA; D003042:Cocaine