Heroin sensitization as mapped by c-Fos immunoreactivity in the rat striatum.
Immunohistochemistry was used to map the induction of c-Fos protein in the forebrain of rats treated with heroin. Acute injection of heroin to drug-naive rats caused significant induction of c-Fos protein in the nucleus accumbens shell, whereas the same dose of heroin given to drug-sensitized rats significantly increased c-Fos immunoreactivity in the dorsomedial caudate-putamen. These results show that the heroin-induced pattern of c-Fos protein in the rat striatum differs according to the rat's drug history. These findings may represent a neural correlate of the motor components of heroin sensitization.
D'Este
Loredana
L
Institute of Human Anatomy, I Faculty of Medicine, Via Borelli 50, 00161, Rome, Italy. loredana.deste@uniroma1.it
Scontrini
Alessandra
A
Casini
Arianna
A
Pontieri
Francesco E
FE
Renda
Tindaro G
TG
D000818:Animals; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002452:Cell Count; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004361:Drug Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D003932:Heroin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009294:Narcotics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012201:Reward; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
D009294:Narcotics; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D003932:Heroin; D004298:Dopamine