title: Counteractive effects of cannabinoid and nicotine-addictive behavior.
abstract: Our recent results suggest that cannabinoid exposure induces conditioned place preference (CPP) through facilitated induction of synaptic long-term depression at dopamine circuitry of the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA). Here, we show that chronic nicotine exposure also induces CPP, but facilitates the induction of synaptic long-term potentiation in the VTA. Coadministration of cannabinoid and nicotine leads to a blockade of facilitated long-term depression and long-term potentiation induction in these neurons and elimination of CPP. These findings point to counteractive effects of cannabinoid and nicotine-addictive behavior through opposite changes in synaptic plasticity of dopamine circuitry of the VTA.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian, Shaanxi Province, PR China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Zhiqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000075202:Contraindications; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D002186:Cannabinoids; D009538:Nicotine; D004298:Dopamine