title: Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript in the nucleus accumbens shell attenuates context-induced reinstatement of alcohol seeking.
abstract: We investigated the impact of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) in the nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh) on context-induced reinstatement of alcoholic beer-seeking. Rats were trained to respond for 4% (vol/vol) alcoholic beer in one context (A) followed by extinction in a second context (B). Rats were subsequently tested for renewal of extinguished responding in the training context (A). Return to the training context elicited responding (reinstatement), whereas intra-AcbSh injections of CART (55-102) attenuated reinstatement without affecting general behavioral activity (Experiment 1). CART (55-102) attenuated reinstatement dose-dependently across the 0.025 - 2.5 μg range (Experiment 2), and no effect was observed with the inactive CART (1-27) fragment (Experiment 3). Together, these findings suggest that intra-AcbSh CART (55-102) modulates the impact of drug-associated environments on reward seeking behavior.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: E Zayra
authors.initials: EZ
authors.lastname: Millan
authors.forename: Gavan P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: McNally
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001515:Beer; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D058999:Drug-Seeking Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012646:Self Administration; D000098882:Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Protein
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C428723:cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript protein (55-102); D000098882:Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Protein