title: Region-specific role of Rac in nucleus accumbens core and basolateral amygdala in consolidation and reconsolidation of cocaine-associated cue memory in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Drug reinforcement and the reinstatement of drug seeking are associated with the pathological processing of drug-associated cue memories that can be disrupted by manipulating memory consolidation and reconsolidation. Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate (Rac) is involved in memory processing by regulating actin dynamics and neural structure plasticity. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) and amygdala have been implicated in the consolidation and reconsolidation of emotional memories. Therefore, we hypothesized that Rac in the NAc and amygdala plays a role in the consolidation and reconsolidation of cocaine-associated cue memory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Conditioned place preference (CPP) and microinjection of Rac inhibitor NSC23766 were used to determine the role of Rac in the NAc and amygdala in the consolidation and reconsolidation of cocaine-associated cue memory in rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Microinjections of NSC23766 into the NAc core but not shell, basolateral (BLA), or central amygdala (CeA) after each cocaine-conditioning session inhibited the consolidation of cocaine-induced CPP. A microinjection of NSC23766 into the BLA but not CeA, NAc core, or NAc shell immediately after memory reactivation induced by exposure to a previously cocaine-paired context disrupted the reconsolidation of cocaine-induced CPP. The effect of memory disruption on cocaine reconsolidation was specific to reactivated memory, persisted at least 2 weeks, and was not reinstated by a cocaine-priming injection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that Rac in the NAc core and BLA are required for the consolidation and reconsolidation of cocaine-associated cue memory, respectively.
authors.affiliation: National Institute on Drug Dependence, Peking University, 38, Xue Yuan Road, Beijing 100191, China.
authors.forename: Zeng-Bo
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yi-Xiao
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Hai-Shui
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Hao-Wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Shen-Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000634:Aminoquinolines / Q000494:pharmacology; D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D003042:Cocaine / Q000633:toxicity*; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects; D003463:Cues; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D008845:Microinjections; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D020744:rac GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000634:Aminoquinolines; C487513:NSC 23766; D011743:Pyrimidines; D020744:rac GTP-Binding Proteins; D003042:Cocaine