title: Reduced cocaine-induced serotonin, but not dopamine and noradrenaline, release in rats with a genetic deletion of serotonin transporters.
abstract: It has recently been proposed that the increased reinforcing properties of cocaine and ecstasy observed in rats with a genetic deletion of serotonin transporters are the result of a reduction in the psychostimulant-induced release of serotonin. Here we provide the neurochemical evidence in favor of this hypothesis and show that changes in synaptic levels of dopamine or noradrenaline are not very likely to play an important role in the previously reported enhanced psychostimulant intake of these serotonin transporter knockout rats. The results may very well explain why human subjects displaying a reduced expression of serotonin transporters have an increased risk to develop addiction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, PO Box 9101, 6525 EZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: M.Verheij@cns.umcn.nl.
authors.forename: Michel M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Verheij
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, PO Box 9101, 6525 EZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karel
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, PO Box 9101, 6525 EZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Alexander R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Cools
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, PO Box 9101, 6525 EZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Judith R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Homberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000494:pharmacology; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D017551:Microdialysis; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D012701:Serotonin; D003042:Cocaine; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine
keywords: Cocaine pharmacology; Hippocampus; Microdialysis; Nucleus accumbens; Serotonin release; Serotonin transporter knockout rats