Overexpression of ASIC1A in the nucleus accumbens of rats potentiates cocaine‐seeking behavior

• DOI: 10.1111/adb.12690
• Publication Date: 2018-11-06T09:44:57Z
• Authors: Andrea L. Gutman; Caitlin V. Cosme; Maria F. Noterman; Wensday R. Worth; John A. Wemmie; Ryan T. LaLumiere
• Keywords: Extinction (optical mineralogy); Self-administration; Cued speech

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are abundantly expressed in the nucleus accumbens core (NAcore), a region of mesolimbocortical system that has an established role regulating drug-seeking behavior. Previous work shows single dose cocaine reduced AMPA-to-NMDA ratio Asic1a-/- mice, effect observed after withdrawal wild-type whereas ASIC1A overexpression NAcore rats decreases self-administration. However, whether alters measures behavior self-administration period is unknown. To examine this issue, subunit was overexpressed male Sprague-Dawley by injecting them with adeno-associated virus, targeted at NAcore, completion 2 weeks or food After 21 days homecage abstinence, underwent cue-/context-driven drug/food-seeking test, followed extinction training and then drug/food-primed, cued, cued + drug/food-primed reinstatement tests. The results indicate enhanced seeking, cocaine-primed reinstatement, but had no on food-seeking behavior, indicating selective for processes underlying cocaine-seeking