title: Progesterone receptors activation after acute cocaine administration.
abstract: Cocaine modulates serum levels of progesterone in intact female and male rats, as well as in pregnant dams, and progesterone decreases or attenuates cocaine-induced behavioral and reward responses. It has been postulated that cocaine's modulation of serum progesterone levels may in turn alter progesterone receptor activity, thereby contributing to cocaine-induced alterations of neuronal functions and genomic regulations. To test this hypothesis, intact male rats received acute injections of saline or cocaine (15 or 30 mg/kg, dissolved in 0.9% saline, intraperitoneal). Progesterone serum levels, progesterone receptor (PR) protein levels, and PR-DNA binding complexes were measured in the striatum by radioimmunoassay, Western blot, and gel shift analyses, respectively. After injection of 15 mg/kg of cocaine, induction of progesterone serum levels was closely followed by an increase in receptor protein levels and DNA binding complexes. After injection of 30 mg/kg of cocaine, similar effects were observed along with an attenuation of receptor protein levels and DNA binding complexes at 60 min. Our results suggest that activation of progesterone receptors may be a mechanism by which cocaine mediates behavior through molecular alterations in the central nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10021, USA.
authors.forename: Hui-Bing K
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Sosimo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fabian
authors.forename: Shirzad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jenab
authors.forename: Vanya
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Quiñones-Jenab
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D008297:Male; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D011374:Progesterone; D003042:Cocaine