A comparison of the effects of different operant training experiences and dietary restriction on the reinstatement of cocaine-seeking in rats.
Studies on the reinstatement of drug-seeking after withdrawal from chronic drug self-administration have varied in terms of the procedures by which animals are initially trained to self-administer the drug. The current study directly compared whether prior operant training for food pellet reinforcement and/or maintained dietary restriction significantly altered the reinstatement of extinguished cocaine-seeking in the presence of cocaine-paired cues, a priming injection of cocaine (10 mg/kg; i.p.), and the pharmacological stressor, yohimbine (1.25 or 2.5 mg/kg, i.p.). Male Long Evans rats were divided into four groups as follows: a) trained to lever press for food pellets prior to cocaine self-administration and then maintained on a restricted diet, b) trained to lever press for food pellets prior to cocaine self-administration and then placed on an ad libitum diet, c) untrained and maintained on a restricted diet, or d) untrained and placed on ad libitum feeding. All rats readily self-administered cocaine (0.2 mg/50 mul/infusion) and were subsequently extinguished in the absence of cocaine or previously cocaine-paired cues (light+tone). Following extinction, rats experienced cue-, cocaine-, and yohimbine-induced reinstatement testing. No significant differences were seen between groups for lever responding during the maintenance phase and during extinction. Likewise, reinstatement of cocaine-seeking did not vary across groups for cue-, cocaine-, or yohimbine-induced reinstatement. Under these specific parameters, operant training prior to cocaine self-administration and/or dietary restriction do not significantly alter reinstatement of cocaine-seeking. The results arguably support the approach of not using prior lever training with a non-drug reinforcer and to limit the use of dietary restriction only to the acquisition phase of drug self-administration.
Bongiovanni
Michele
M
Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
See
Ronald E
RE
D058669:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Antagonists; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D031204:Caloric Restriction / Q000523:psychology*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects*; D004032:Diet; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects; D005502:Food; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012008:Recurrence; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012646:Self Administration; D015016:Yohimbine / Q000494:pharmacology
D058669:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Antagonists; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D015016:Yohimbine