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Persistence of one-trial cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization in young rats: regional differences in Fos immunoreactivity

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Abstract

Rationale

Unlike adult rats, young rats exhibit context-dependent and context-independent behavioral sensitization when assessed after a single pretreatment injection of cocaine.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to determine whether: (1) the context-dependent and context-independent sensitization of young rats can be dissociated based on the persistence of the sensitized response and (2) the expression of behavioral sensitization is associated with region-specific increases in Fos immunoreactivity (Fos-IR).

Materials and methods

On postnatal day (PD) 19, rats were injected with either saline or cocaine (30 mg/kg) in a novel test chamber or the home cage. After 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, or 61 abstinence days, rats were challenged with 20 mg/kg cocaine and locomotor activity was measured for 60 min. In a separate experiment, rats pretreated on PD 19 were challenged with cocaine (10–30 mg/kg) on PD 80.

Results

The sensitized responding of young rats persisted for the same length of time (5 days) regardless of whether cocaine pretreatment occurred in a novel environment or the home cage. Behavioral sensitization did not reemerge in adulthood. When assessed after three abstinence days (i.e., on PD 22), acute treatment with cocaine increased Fos-IR in various brain regions, but sensitized responding was associated with elevated Fos expression in only the caudate–putamen (CP) and prefrontal cortex (PFC).

Conclusions

Persistence of the sensitized response cannot be used to dissociate the one-trial context-dependent and context-independent sensitization of young rats. Fos data indicate that the CP and PFC may be involved in the mediation of short-term behavioral sensitization on PD 22.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, California State University, San Bernardino, CA, 92407, USA

    Sanders A. McDougall, Sergios Charntikov, Anthony M. Cortez, Dionisio A. Amodeo, Cynthia E. Martinez & Cynthia A. Crawford

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  1. Sanders A. McDougall
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  2. Sergios Charntikov
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  3. Anthony M. Cortez
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  4. Dionisio A. Amodeo
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  5. Cynthia E. Martinez
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  6. Cynthia A. Crawford
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Correspondence to Sanders A. McDougall.

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McDougall, S.A., Charntikov, S., Cortez, A.M. et al. Persistence of one-trial cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization in young rats: regional differences in Fos immunoreactivity. Psychopharmacology 203, 617–628 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-008-1407-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-008-1407-1

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