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Effects of dopamine D1 and D2 receptor agonists on environmental enrichment attenuated sucrose cue reactivity in rats

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Abstract

Rationale

Acute or chronic environmental enrichment (EE) reduces sucrose cue reactivity in rats. This effect may be mediated by dopamine receptors.

Objectives

We examined whether dopamine D1 or D2 receptor agonism could reverse the EE effect. We also examined whether any reversal effects would vary with the incubation of sucrose craving.

Methods

Following 10 days (2 h/day) of sucrose self-administration, rats experienced either 1 or 30 days of forced abstinence and either overnight (acute) or 29 day (chronic) EE. D1 (SKF 81297; 0, 0.3, or 1 mg/kg) or D2 (quinpirole; 0, 0.1, or 0.3 mg/kg) agonist was administered systemically immediately prior to a subsequent 2-h cue reactivity test the next day (n = 9–12 per group).

Results

Dose-dependent effects were limited to the day 1 test. High doses of the agonists increased day 1 acute EE cue reactivity to levels comparable to control animals. On the day 30 test, SKF 81297 increased cue reactivity in acute EE, chronic EE, and control rats. In contrast, quinpirole resulted in similar cue reactivity for control and enriched rats, more from a reduction in responding by controls vs. a recovery of responding by EE-experienced rats.

Conclusions

Both D1 and D2 receptors may be involved in the acute EE-mediated decrease in cue reactivity observed following 1 day of forced abstinence. In contrast, at 30 days of forced abstinence, D1 receptors may be critical in cue reactivity as SKF 81297 was effective at both restoring responding of enriched animals and potentiating responding of controls.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Fiona Griffin, Neil Ingermann, Helena Reisterer, and Matthew Kroll for the help with the data collection. This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health grant DA016285-04 and Western Washington University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology and Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Western Washington University, 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA, 98225-9172, USA

    Edwin Glueck, Darren Ginder, Jeff Hyde, Katherine North & Jeffrey W. Grimm

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  1. Edwin Glueck
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  2. Darren Ginder
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  3. Jeff Hyde
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  4. Katherine North
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  5. Jeffrey W. Grimm
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Correspondence to Jeffrey W. Grimm.

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Glueck, E., Ginder, D., Hyde, J. et al. Effects of dopamine D1 and D2 receptor agonists on environmental enrichment attenuated sucrose cue reactivity in rats. Psychopharmacology 234, 815–825 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-016-4516-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-016-4516-2

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