Involvement of the rostral agranular insular cortex in nicotine self-administration in rats.
Our prior work demonstrated the involvement of the caudal granular subregion of the insular cortex in a rat model of nicotine self-administration. Recent studies in various animal models of addiction for nicotine and other drugs have identified a role for the rostral agranular subregion (RAIC). The current research was undertaken to examine the involvement of the RAIC in a rat model of nicotine self-administration. We investigated the inactivating effects of local infusions of a γ-aminobutyric acid agonist mixture (baclofen/muscimol) into the RAIC on nicotine self-administration under a fixed-ratio 5 (FR-5) schedule and on reinstatement of nicotine seeking induced by nicotine-associated cues in rats. We also evaluated the effects of RAIC inactivation on food self-administration under an FR5 schedule as a control. Inactivation of the RAIC decreased nicotine, but not food, self-administration. RAIC inactivation also prevented the reinstatement, after extinction, of nicotine seeking induced by nicotine-associated cues. Our study indicates that the RAIC is involved in nicotine-taking and nicotine-seeking in rats. Modulating insular cortex function appears to be a promising approach for nicotine dependence treatment.
Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Abhiram
A
Pushparaj
Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Aaron S
AS
Kim
Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Martin
M
Musiol
Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Jose M
JM
Trigo
Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Alcohol Research and Treatment Clinic, Addiction Medicine Services, Ambulatory Care and Structured Treatments, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Division of Brain and Therapeutics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. Electronic address: Bernard.lefoll@camh.ca.
Bernard
B
Le Foll
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects*; D003463:Cues; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D058786:GABA-B Receptor Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012646:Self Administration; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy
D058786:GABA-B Receptor Agonists; D009538:Nicotine
Nicotine; Rat; Reinstatement; Rostral agranular insular cortex; Self-administration