Original articleNeural and Behavioral Plasticity Associated with the Transition from Controlled to Escalated Cocaine Use
Section snippets
Subjects
Male Wistar rats (Harlan, Indianapolis, Indiana) weighing 250–275 g were individually housed (14:10–hour reversed light–dark cycle), and initially food and water were continually available. All testing was conducted during the dark phase of the light–dark cycle.
Surgical Procedures
After acclimation to the animal colony, rats were anesthetized using a mixture of ketamine and xylazine (100 + 10 mg/kg administered intraperitoneally [IP]) and were outfitted with a catheter in the right jugular vein using procedures
Self-Administration and Drug Seeking
During the initial 5- to 6-day training period, both groups (LgA and ShA) had 1 hour sessions, and they were selected to match drug intake so that they do not differ during this period (Figure 1). Beginning with the first test session (session 6 or 7) animals in the LgA group were given access to cocaine for 6 hours/session, whereas animals in the ShA group continued to have access to cocaine for 1 hour/session. Animals in the ShA group maintained a stable level of cocaine intake over the
Discussion
Animals given 1 hour of access to cocaine showed a stable level of cocaine intake, whereas animals given 6 hours of access progressively escalated their intake of cocaine, as expected (Ahmed and Koob 1998). We were able to ask, therefore, whether the transition from stable, controlled cocaine use to an escalated pattern of use typical of addiction, was accompanied by the development of psychomotor sensitization and structural plasticity. We found that, indeed, when given a cocaine challenge 1
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