title: Induction of a salt appetite alters dendritic morphology in nucleus accumbens and sensitizes rats to amphetamine.
abstract: Sensitization to drugs, such as amphetamine, is associated with alterations in the morphology of neurons in the nucleus accumbens, a brain region critical to motivation and reward. The studies reported here indicate that a strong natural motivator, sodium depletion and associated salt appetite, also leads to alterations in neurons in nucleus accumbens. Medium spiny neurons in the shell of the nucleus accumbens of rats that had experienced sodium depletions had significantly more dendritic branches and spines than controls. In addition, a history of sodium depletions was found to have cross-sensitization effects, leading to enhanced psychostimulant responses to amphetamine. Thus, neuronal alterations common to salt and drug sensitization may provide a general mechanism for enhanced behavioral responses to subsequent exposures to these challenges.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1525, USA.
authors.forename: Mitchell F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Roitman
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Na
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Theresa A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Ilene L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Bernstein
mesh_terms: D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001066:Appetite / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology; D003712:Dendrites / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012964:Sodium / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D012964:Sodium; D000661:Amphetamine