title: [β-arrestin2 plays a critical role in reward behaviors induced by cocaine].
abstract: Besides its role in desensitization and internalization of receptors, β-arrestin2 facilitates G protein-independent signaling through its ability to scaffold various signaling molecules. β-arrestin2 is widely distributed in the central nervous system, and mediates signal transduction of brain circuit. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of β-arrestin2 in reward behaviors induced by cocaine. We assessed the conditioned place preference (CPP) induced by low (10 mg/kg), moderate (20 mg/kg) and high (30 mg/kg) doses of cocaine in Arrb2(-/-) mice and Arrb2(+/+) controls. In the Arrb2(-/-) mice, moderate and high, but not low, dose of cocaine induced pronounced increases of CPP scores, which were higher than those in the Arrb2(+/+) mice. Moreover, cocaine-induced locomotor activity was significantly lower in Arrb2(-/-) mice than that of Arrb2(+/+) littermate controls. Taken together, our results suggest a potential role of β-arrestin2 in the cocaine-induced rewarding behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology Research Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Xu-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019390:Arrestins / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D012201:Reward; D000071560:beta-Arrestin 2; D000071557:beta-Arrestins
chemical_list: C000605258:Arrb2 protein, mouse; D019390:Arrestins; D000071560:beta-Arrestin 2; D000071557:beta-Arrestins; D003042:Cocaine