Withania somnifera Dunal (Indian ginseng) impairs acquisition and expression of ethanol-elicited conditioned place preference and conditioned place aversion.
Withania somnifera Dunal (Indian Ginseng) has recently been shown to impair ethanol self-administration. In order to gain further insights on the ability of the Withania somnifera standardised root extract (WSE) to affect the motivational properties of ethanol, this study investigated whether WSE may also affect ethanol (2 g/kg)-elicited conditioned place preference (CPP) and aversion (CPA). To this end male CD-1 mice were conditioned under two distinct schedules: in backward conditioning experiments ethanol was administered before mice were placed in the conditioning apparatus (CPP) while, in forward conditioning experiments, ethanol was administered immediately after removing mice from the apparatus (CPA). Following these schedules, mice developed significant CPP and CPA, respectively. Administration of WSE significantly impaired both the acquisition (50 and 100 mg/kg) and the expression (50 mg/kg) of CPP and CPA without affecting spatial memory (50 mg/kg), as determined by a two-trial memory recognition task. Overall, the study highlights the ability of WSE to interfere with both positive and negative motivational properties of ethanol and suggests that the effects of WSE may target both ethanol's motivational properties and underpinning associative learning mechanisms. In conclusion, these results cast new light on Withania somnifera as an agent potentially useful to counteract distinct aspects of ethanol effects.
Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Liliana
L
Spina
Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Rosanna
R
Longoni
Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Michela
M
Rosas
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Maria
M
Collu
Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
Alessandra T
AT
Peana
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Elena
E
Espa
Sanjivani College of Pharmaceutical Education & Research, Kopargaon, India.
Sanjay
S
Kasture
Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Elisabetta
E
Cotti
Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy Centre of Excellence on Neurobiology of Addiction, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy acquas@unica.it.
Elio
E
Acquas
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D000432:Methanol / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects; D012201:Reward; D012646:Self Administration; D032341:Withania / Q000737:chemistry*
D010936:Plant Extracts; D000431:Ethanol; D000432:Methanol
Conditioned place aversion; Withania somnifera Dunal; conditioned place preference; ethanol; motivation