Abstract
The effect of ovarian hormones on the initiation and maintenance of heroin intravenous self-administration was studied in ovariectomized female rats. In Experiment 1 (initiation), the behavior of groups of females (n = 8) ovariectomized (OVX), injected with 10 µg estradiol benzoate (EB) every 3 days (OVX+EB), and intact, was compared with that of intact males (n = 7) exposed to an ascending series of doses of heroin (6.125–50 µg/kg per infusion) on a fixed ratio—FR-1—reinforcement schedule. Twelve 3-h sessions per dose were given, 2 per day in the dark and 2 in the light period of a 12:12-h light:dark cycle. No differences in rate of responding between groups were observed at any of the heroin doses during acquisition or during tests given after acquisition on a descending series of doses. In Experiment 2 (maintenance), 7 OVX female rats were trained to self-administer heroin on an FR-1 reinforcement schedule. They were then switched to a progressive ratio schedule, 4 sessions per day, 4 h each, and a regimen of EB and progesterone (P) injections was initiated during which all animals were tested over a 5-day period (cycle) at each of four doses of heroin (50, 25, 12.5, and 0.0 µg/kg per infusion). Neither EB, given on Day 3, nor P, given on Day 5 of each cycle, affected the highest ratio achieved (breakpoint) or number of heroin infusions taken. These results suggest that the sensitivity of female and male rats to the reinforcing effects of heroin is not different, and that, in females, the reinforcing effects are not affected by circulating ovarian hormones.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Becker, J. B. (1990). Estrogen rapidly potentiates amphetamine induced striatal dopamine release and rotational behavior during microdialysis. Neuroscience Letters, 118, 169–171.
Becker, J. B., & Beer, M. E. (1986). The influence of estrogen on nigrostriatal dopamine activity: Behavioral and neurochemical evidence for both pre- and postsynaptic components. Behavioural Brain Research, 19, 27–33.
Berglund, L. A., Derendorf, H., & Simpkins, J. W. (1988). Desensitization of brain opiate receptor mechanisms by gonadal steroid treatments that stimulate luteinizing hormone secretion. Endocrinology, 122, 2718–2725.
Berglund, L. A., & Simpkins, J. W. (1988). Alterations in brain opiate receptor mechanisms on proestrous afternoon. Neuroendocrinology, 48, 394–400.
Castner, S. A., Xiao, L., & Becker, J. B. (1993). Sex differences in striatal dopamine: In vivo microdialysis and behavioral studies. Brain Research, 610, 127–134.
Deminiere, J. M., Piazza, P. V., Le Moal, M., & Simon, H. (1989). Experimental approach to individual vulnerability to psychostimulant addiction. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 13, 141–147.
Di Chiara, G., & North, R. A. (1992). Neurobiology of opiate abuse. Trends in Pharmacological Science, 13, 185–193.
Forgie, M. L., & Stewart, J. (1993). Sex differences in amphetamine-induced locomotor activity in adult rats: Role of testosterone exposure in the neonatal period. Pharmacology, Biochemistry & Behavior, 46, 637–645.
Forgie, M. L., & Stewart, J. (1994a). Effect of prepubertal ovariectomy on amphetamine-induced locomotor activity in adult female rats. Hormones & Behavior, 28, 241–260.
Forgie, M. L., & Stewart, J. (1994b). Sex differences in the locomotor-activating effects of amphetamine: Role of circulating testosterone in adulthood. Physiology & Behavior, 55, 639–644.
Ganchrow, J. R., Lieblich, I., & Cohen, E. (1981). Consummatory responses to taste stimuli in rats selected for high and low rates of self-stimulation. Physiology & Behavior, 27, 971–976.
Goodman, R. L. (1978). A quantitative analysis of the physiological role of estradiol and progesterone in the control of tonic surge secretion of luteinizing hormone in the rat. Endocrinology, 102, 142–150.
Hadaway, P. F., Alexander, B. K., Coambs, R. B., & Beyerstein, B. (1979). The effect of housing and gender on preference for morphine-sucrose solutions in rats. Psychopharmacology, 66, 87–91.
Hill, S. Y. (1978). Addiction liability of tryon rats: Independent transmission of morphine and alcohol consumption. Pharmacology, Biochemistry & Behavior, 9, 107–110.
Kelly, M. J., Loose, M. D., & Ronnekleiv, O. K. (1992). Estrogen suppresses μ-opioid- and GABAB-mediated hyperpolarization of hypothalamic arcuate neurons. Journal of Neuroscience, 12, 2745–2750.
Kepler, K. L., Kest, B., Kiefel, J. M., Cooper, M. L., & Bodnar, R. J. (1989). Roles of gender, gonadectomy and estrous phase in the analgesic effects of intracerebroventricular morphine in rats. Pharmacology, Physiology & Behavior, 34, 119–127.
Mermelstein, P. G., Becker, J. B., & Surmeier, D. J. (1993). 17b-estradiol inhibits w-conotoxin sensitive (N-type) calcium channels in rat striatal neurons. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 19, 1527.
Pfaus, J. G., & Pfaff, D. W. (1992). Mu, delta, and kappa opioid receptor agonists selectively modulate sexual behaviors in the female rat: Differential dependence on progesterone. Hormones & Behavior, 26, 457–472.
Roberts, D. C. S., & Bennett, S. A. L. (1993). Heroin self-administration in rats under a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement. Psychopharmacology, 111, 215–218.
Roberts, D. C. S., Bennett, S. A. L., & Vickers, G. J. (1989). The estrous cycle affects cocaine self-administration on a progressive ratio schedule in rats. Psychopharmacology, 98, 408–411.
Shaham, Y., & Stewart, J. (1994). Exposure to mild stress enhances the reinforcing efficacy of intravenous heroin self-administration in rats. Psychopharmacology, 114, 523–527.
Stinus, L., Cador, M., & Le Moal, M. (1992). Interaction between endogenous opioids and dopamine within the nucleus accumbens. In P. W. Kalivas & H. H. Samson, The neurobiology of drug and alcohol addiction (Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, Vol. 654, pp. 254–273). New York: New York Academy of Sciences.
Taylor, J., Harris, N., & Vogel, W. H. (1990). Voluntary alcohol and cocaine consumption in “low” and “high” stress plasma catecholamine responding rats. Pharmacology, Biochemistry & Behavior, 37, 359–363.
Weiland, N. G., & Wise, P. M. (1990). Estrogen and progesterone regulate opiate receptor densities in multiple brain regions. Endocrinology, 126, 804–808.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This research was funded by grants to J.S. from the Medical Research Council of Canada and from the Fonds pour la Formation de Chercheurs et l’Aide à la Recherche (FCAR, Québec).
Y. S. was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship award from the Medical Research Council of Canada.
Thanks are extended to Demetra Rodaros for her expert technical assistance.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stewart, J., Woodside, B. & Shaham, Y. Ovarian hormones do not affect the initiation and maintenance of intravenous self-administration of heroin in the female rat. Psychobiology 24, 154–159 (1996). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03331967
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03331967