Jump to main content
US EPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Search
Search
Main menu
Environmental Topics
Laws & Regulations
About EPA
Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)
Contact Us
Print
Feedback
Export to File
Search:
This record has one attached file:
Add More Files
Attach File(s):
Display Name for File*:
Save
Citation
Tags
HERO ID
8405770
Reference Type
Journal Article
Title
Activation of group II metabotropic glutamate receptors in the nucleus accumbens shell attenuates context-induced relapse to heroin seeking
Author(s)
Bossert, JM; Gray, SM; Lu, L; Shaham, Y
Year
2006
Is Peer Reviewed?
1
Journal
Neuropsychopharmacology
ISSN:
0893-133X
EISSN:
1740-634X
Volume
31
Issue
10
Page Numbers
2197-2209
Language
English
DOI
10.1038/sj.npp.1300977
Abstract
Using a rat relapse model, we previously reported that re-exposing rats to a drug-associated context, following extinction of operant responding in a different context, reinstates heroin seeking. In an initial pharmacological characterization, we found that the mGluR2/3 agonist LY379268, which acts centrally to reduce evoked glutamate release, attenuates context-induced reinstatement of heroin seeking when injected systemically or into the ventral tegmental area, the cell body region of the mesolimbic dopamine system. Here, we tested whether injections of LY379268 into the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a terminal region of the mesolimbic dopamine system, would also attenuate context-induced reinstatement of heroin seeking. Rats were trained to self-administer heroin; drug infusions were paired with a discrete tone-light cue. Subsequently, lever pressing was extinguished in the presence of the discrete cue in a context that differed from the drug self-administration context in terms of visual, auditory, tactile, and circadian cues. After extinction of responding, LY379268 was injected to different groups of rats into the NAc core or shell or into the caudate-putamen, a terminal region of the nigrastriatal dopamine system. Injections of LY379268 into the NAc shell (0.3 or 1.0 μg) dose-dependently attenuated context-induced reinstatement of heroin seeking. Injections of 1.0 μg of LY379268 into the NAc core had no effect, while a higher dose (3.0 μg) decreased this reinstatement. Injections of LY379268 (3.0 μg) 1.5 mm dorsal from the NAc core into the caudate-putamen were ineffective. Results suggest an important role of glutamate transmission in the NAc shell in context-induced reinstatement of heroin seeking. © 2006 Nature Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
Keywords
Drug environment; Extinction; Nucleus accumbens core; Opiate self-administration; Reinstatement; Relapse
Home
Learn about HERO
Using HERO
Search HERO
Projects in HERO
Risk Assessment
Transparency & Integrity