Fos but not Cart (cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript) is overexpressed by several drugs of abuse: a comparative study using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction in rat brain.
It has been reported that cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript (Cart) peptides can increase locomotor activity and produce a conditioned place preference. To establish whether or not Cart can be consider as a valuable marker of addiction we performed a comparative study of the expression of Cart and Fos genes by several drugs of abuse. This was achieved using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction in four rat brain structures: prefrontal cortex, caudate putamen, nucleus accumbens and hippocampus. As expected, a significant induction of the immediate early gene Fos was observed after acute administration of morphine, cocaine, 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and Delta(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol. On the contrary none of these drugs was able to produce a significant change in Cart mRNA levels demonstrating that the expression of this gene is not modulated by drugs of abuse in these brain structures.
Marie-Claire
Cynthia
C
Departement de Pharmacochimie Moleculaire et Structurale, INSERM U266, CNRS FRE 2463, Universite René Descartes-Paris V, 4 Avenue de l'Observatoire, 75270 Paris Cedex 06, France.
Laurendeau
Ingrid
I
Canestrelli
Corine
C
Courtin
Cindie
C
Vidaud
Michel
M
Roques
Bernard
B
Noble
Florence
F
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D003199:Computer Systems; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000098882:Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Protein
D013287:Illicit Drugs; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000098882:Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Protein