title: Induction of conditioned place preference and dopamine release by salsolinol in posterior VTA of rats: involvement of μ-opioid receptors.
abstract: Salsolinol (Sal), locally administered into the posterior VTA (pVTA) of rats, produces psychomotor responses and reinforcing effects, probably, through the activation of μ-opioid receptors (MORs). The neurochemical correlates of these phenomena are, however, practically unknown. In this paper, we explore the neurochemical events and the mechanisms involved in these behaviors. To do that, we test the ability of Sal, directly microinjected into the pVTA, to induce conditioned place preference (CPP) and to increase dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens shell. Bilateral injections of 30 pmol of Sal induced a strong CPP (rats spent around 70% of the total test time), a result that could be explained by the fact that Sal microinjected into the pVTA increased DA levels in the ipsilateral accumbens up to 141% of baseline. The local pretreatment with β-FNA, an antagonist of MORs, prevented this increase, supporting our hypothesis on the involvement of MORs in the Sal-derived effects.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnología Farmacèutica, Universitat de València, Avda Vicente Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Spain.
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hipólito
authors.forename: Lucía
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martí-Prats
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Catalán
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polache
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Granero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D007546:Isoquinolines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008032:Limbic System / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D017551:Microdialysis; D008845:Microinjections; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000187:drug effects*; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007546:Isoquinolines; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D009271:Naltrexone; C024524:beta-funaltrexamine; C036617:salsolinol; D004298:Dopamine