abstract: Intermittent social defeat stress induces cross-sensitization to psychostimulants and escalation of drug self-administration. These behaviors could result from the stress-induced neuroadaptation in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine circuit. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) is persistently elevated after social defeat stress, and may contribute to the stress-induced neuroadaptation in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine circuit. BDNF modulates synaptic plasticity, and facilitates stress- and drug-induced neuroadaptations in the mesocorticolimbic system. The present research examined the role of mesolimbic BDNF signaling in social defeat stress-induced cross-sensitization to psychostimulants and the escalation of cocaine self-administration in rats. We measured drug taking behavior with the acquisition, progressive ratio, and binge paradigms during self-administration. With BDNF overexpression in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), single social defeat stress-induced cross-sensitization to amphetamine (AMPH) was significantly potentiated. VTA-BDNF overexpression also facilitates acquisition of cocaine self-administration, and a positive correlation between the level of VTA BDNF and drug intake during 12 hour binge was observed. We also found significant increase of DeltaFosB expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), the projection area of the VTA, in rats received intra-VTA BDNF overexpression. We therefore examined whether BDNF signaling in the NAc is important for social defeat stress-induced cross-sensitization by knockdown of the receptor of BDNF (neurotrophin tyrosine kinase receptor type 2, TrkB) there. NAc TrkB knockdown prevented social defeat stress-induced cross-sensitization to psychostimulant. Also social defeat stress-induced increase of DeltaFosB in the NAc was prevented by TrkB knockdown. Several other factors up-regulated by stress, such as the GluA1 subunit of Alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor and BDNF in the VTA were also prevented. We conclude that BDNF signaling in the VTA increases social defeat stress-induced vulnerability to psychostimulants, manifested as potentiated cross-sensitization/sensitization to AMPH and escalation of cocaine self-administration. Also BDNF signaling in the NAc is necessary for the stress-induced neuroadaptation and behavioral sensitization to psychostimulants. Therefore, TrkB in the NAc could be a therapeutic target to prevent stress-induced vulnerability to drugs of abuse in the future. DeltaFosB in the NAc shell could be a neural substrate underlying persistent cross-sensitization and augmented cocaine self-administration induced by social defeat stress. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Neuroscience 2013

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Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:22:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2640.pdf: 532825 bytes, checksum: 85901050327f52892439c98345181eee (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-09-24 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / Nicotine and psychostimulants are often abused in combination. Drug abuse often begins during adolescence. Exposure to drugs of abuse during adolescence can have long-term consequences. We have previously demonstrated that adolescent rats pretreated with amphetamine displayed behavioral sensitization to nicotine, which persisted until adulthood. Moreover, the pretreatment with nicotine during adolescence sensitized adolescent and adult animals to amphetamine-induced locomotor activation. In the present study we investigated whether the behavioral cross-sensitization between nicotine and amphetamine is related to changes in dopamine or serotonin neurotransmission. To this end adolescent rats (post-natal day 28) were treated with nicotine (0.4 mg/Kg), amphetamine (5.0 mg/Kg) or saline during seven days. Three or thirty days after the last injection animals received an acute injection of nicotine (0.4 mg/Kg), amphetamine (5.0 mg/Kg for adolescents or 1.0 mg/Kg for adults) or saline. Thirty minutes after challenge rats were sacrificed, decapitated and brains removed. Nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) were dissected and prepared for HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) analysis. Dopamine, DOPAC, HVA, serotonin and 5-HIAA were measured in these brain regions. Our results showed that: 1) repeated administration of nicotine attenuated the acute effect of amphetamine on NAcc dopamine levels of adolescent rats; 2) repeated administration of nicotine increased the acute effect of amphetamine on PFC dopamine levels of adolescent rats; 3) repeated administration of nicotine, during adolescence, increased the acute effect of amphetamine on PFC dopamine of adult rats. The behavioral cross-sensitization shown previously is not related to alterations in NAcc and PFC concentrations of neurotransmitters and its metabolites. However, neuroadaptations induced by repeated nicotine during adolescence endures until adulthood. / Uma característica comum das substâncias que causam dependência é o aumento gradual e progressivo da atividade locomotora observado após a administração repetida, esse fenômeno é denominado sensibilização comportamental. A sensibilização comportamental resulta de adaptações neuroquímicas e moleculares do sistema dopaminérgico mesocorticolímbico. Foi demonstrado anteriormente a sensibilização cruzada entre nicotina e anfetamina em animais adolescentes e que esse fenômeno permanece até a idade adulta. Nesse trabalho investigamos se a administração repetida com nicotina ou anfetamina, durante a adolescência, pode alterar o efeito agudo dessas substâncias e se essas neuroadaptações persistem até a idade adulta. Para tanto, administramos, por sete dias, nicotina (0,4 mg/Kg), anfetamina (5,0 mg/Kg) ou salina a ratos adolescentes. Três ou trinta dias após a última injeção os animais receberam injeção aguda de nicotina (0,4 mg/Kg), anfetamina (5,0 mg/Kg para adolescentes e 1,0 mg/Kg para adultos) ou salina. Trinta minutos após as injeções os ratos foram sacrificados, decapitados e seus encéfalos removidos. O núcleo acumbens (NAc) e o córtex pré-frontal (CPF) foram retirados e preparados para determinação de dopamina, serotonina e seus metabólitos por cromatografia líquida de alta resolução (HPLC). Os resultados encontrados mostram que: 1) o pré-tratamento com nicotina atenuou o efeito agudo da anfetamina sobre a concentração tecidual de dopamina no Nac de ratos adolescentes; 2) o prétratamento com nicotina aumentou o efeito agudo da anfetamina sobre a concentração tecidual de dopamina no CPF de ratos adolescentes; 3) o prétratamento com nicotina na adolescência aumentou o efeito agudo da anfetamina sobre a concentração tecidual de dopamina no CPF de ratos adultos. Estes resultados não se relacionam à sensibilização cruzada observada anteriormente, mas o tratamento repetido com nicotina promoveu alterações em animais adolescentes que podem ser observadas também na vida adulta.