title: Region-specific up-regulation of oxytocin receptor binding in the brain of mice following chronic nicotine administration.
abstract: Nicotine addiction is considered to be the main preventable cause of death worldwide. While growing evidence indicates that the neurohypophysial peptide oxytocin can modulate the addictive properties of several abused drugs, the regulation of the oxytocinergic system following nicotine administration has so far received little attention. Here, we examined the effects of long-term nicotine or saline administration on the central oxytocinergic system using [(125)I]OVTA autoradiographic binding in mouse brain. Male, 7-week old C57BL6J mice were treated with either nicotine (7.8 mg/kg daily; rate of 0.5 μl per hour) or saline for a period of 14-days via osmotic minipumps. Chronic nicotine administration induced a marked region-specific upregulation of the oxytocin receptor binding in the amygdala, a brain region involved in stress and emotional regulation. These results provide direct evidence for nicotine-induced neuroadaptations in the oxytocinergic system, which may be involved in the modulation of nicotine-seeking as well as emotional consequence of chronic drug use.
authors.affiliation: Sleep, Chronobiology & Addiction Group, School of Biosciences and Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH Surrey, UK.
authors.forename: Panos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zanos
authors.affiliation: Sleep, Chronobiology & Addiction Group, School of Biosciences and Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH Surrey, UK.
authors.forename: Polymnia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Georgiou
authors.affiliation: Sleep, Chronobiology & Addiction Group, School of Biosciences and Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH Surrey, UK.
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Metaxas
authors.affiliation: Sleep, Chronobiology & Addiction Group, School of Biosciences and Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH Surrey, UK.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kitchen
authors.affiliation: Sleep, Chronobiology & Addiction Group, School of Biosciences and Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH Surrey, UK.
authors.forename: Raphaelle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Winsky-Sommerer
authors.affiliation: Sleep, Chronobiology & Addiction Group, School of Biosciences and Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH Surrey, UK. Electronic address: a.bailey@surrey.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bailey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin; D009538:Nicotine
keywords: Amygdala; Mice; Nicotine; Oxytocin receptor