Addictive drugs and stress trigger a common change at VTA synapses.
In this issue of Neuron, Saal et al. find that exposure to any of five addictive drugs or exposure to a brief stressor produces a shared cellular modification of excitatory synapses in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). This common response may represent a starting point for dissecting early changes that underlie addiction.
Kauer
Julie A
JA
Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biotechnology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
D000818:Animals; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D036881:Long-Term Synaptic Depression / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000378:metabolism; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects*; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology*
D013287:Illicit Drugs; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D015735:Mifepristone; D004298:Dopamine