title: The cystine-glutamate transporter in the accumbens: a novel role in cocaine relapse.
abstract: Baker et al. have recently studied the potential role of cocaine-induced alterations in accumbens cystine-glutamate transporter activity (which controls basal extracellular glutamate levels) during cocaine-induced relapse to drug seeking in rats. Their data provide new evidence that neuroadaptations induced by repeated exposure to cocaine and subsequent withdrawal can play a causal role in drug relapse. These data also suggest the cystine-glutamate transporter as a novel target for medication that could prevent cocaine relapse.
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, IRP, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Bruce T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Hope
authors.forename: Yavin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shaham
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D027182:Amino Acid Transport System y+; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D051381:Rats; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000378:metabolism; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000378:metabolism; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D027182:Amino Acid Transport System y+; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; C118895:SLC7A11 protein, human