title: The novelty-seeking phenotype modulates the long-lasting effects of adolescent MDMA exposure.
abstract: Exposure to drugs such as ethanol or cocaine during adolescence induces alterations in the central nervous system that are modulated by the novelty-seeking trait. Our aim was to evaluate the influence of this trait on the long-term effects of MDMA administration during adolescence on spontaneous behavior and conditioned rewarding effects in adulthood. Adolescent mice were classified as high or low novelty seekers (HNS or LNS) according to the hole-board test and received either MDMA (0, 10 or 20mg/kg PND 33-42) or saline. Three weeks later, having entered adulthood (PND>68), one set of mice performed the elevated plus maze and social interaction tests, while another set performed the conditioning place preference (CPP) test induced by cocaine-(1mg/kg) or MDMA-(1mg/kg). Only HNS mice treated with MDMA during adolescence acquired CPP in adulthood with a non-effective dose of cocaine or MDMA. Although it did not produce changes in motor activity, exposure to MDMA during adolescence was associated with more aggressive behaviors (threat and attack) and increased social contacts in HNS mice, while an anxiolytic effect was noted in LNS mice pre-treated with the highest dose of MDMA (20mg/kg). Administration of MDMA (10 or 20mg/kg) induced a decrease in DA levels in the striatum in LNS mice only and lower striatal serotonin levels in mice treated with the highest MDMA dose. Our findings show that adolescent MDMA exposure results in higher sensitivity to the conditioned reinforcing properties of MDMA and cocaine in adult HNS mice, which suggests that the relationship between exposure to MDMA in adolescence and a higher probability of substance is a feature of high novelty seekers only.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación Psicobiología de las Drogodependencias, Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de València, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: marta-rodriguez@uv.es.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Arias
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación Psicobiología de las Drogodependencias, Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de València, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vaccaro
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación Psicobiología de las Drogodependencias, Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de València, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: M Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Arenas
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación Psicobiología de las Drogodependencias, Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de València, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: María A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación Psicobiología de las Drogodependencias, Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de València, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miñarro
mesh_terms: D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010641:Phenotype; D012919:Social Behavior
chemical_list: D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine
keywords: Adolescence; CPP; Cocaine; MDMA; Mice; Novelty-seeking