title: Involvement of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase in acute cocaine-induced c-fos in nucleus accumbens.
abstract: It is well known that acute cocaine administration increases c-Fos expression that is involved in cocaine-induced persistent changes in the central nervous system. In the present study, we investigated a possible involvement of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) in induction of c-fos expression in response to acute cocaine treatment in nucleus accumbens (NAc). We found that inhibition of ERK activation significantly attenuated cocaine-induced c-fos expression at both protein and mRNA levels in the NAc. Furthermore, using an immunofluorescent staining approach, we found that inhibition of ERK activation completely abolished cocaine-induced increase in number of c-Fos-positive cells in the core region of NAc, whereas, in shell region of NAc, inhibition of ERK activation partially attenuated cocaine-induced c-Fos expression. Our findings suggest that ERK might participate in cocaine-induced c-fos expression in the NAc, particularly in the core region of NAc.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Nanjing Medical University, 140 HanZhong Road, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Jue
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Shengnan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D003042:Cocaine