Dorsal hippocampus inhibition disrupts acquisition and expression, but not consolidation, of cocaine conditioned place preference.
Cocaine abusers may experience drug craving upon exposure to environmental contexts where cocaine was experienced. The dorsal hippocampus (DHC) is important for contextual conditioning, therefore the authors examined the specific role of the DHC in cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP). Muscimol was used to temporarily inhibit the DHC and was infused before conditioning sessions or tests for CPP to investigate acquisition and expression of cocaine CPP, respectively. To investigate consolidation, rats received intra-DHC muscimol either immediately or 6 hr after conditioning sessions. Inhibition of DHC, but not the overlying cortex, disrupted acquisition and expression of cocaine CPP. It is interesting to note that there was no effect of post-conditioning DHC inhibition. The findings suggest that the DHC is important for both acquisition and recall, but not consolidation, of context-cocaine associations.
Meyers
Ryan A
RA
Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1104, USA.
Zavala
Arturo R
AR
Speer
Colenso M
CM
Neisewander
Janet L
JL
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects; D018755:GABA Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009118:Muscimol / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors
D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D018755:GABA Agonists; D009118:Muscimol; D003042:Cocaine