Stress and addiction: glucocorticoid receptor in dopaminoceptive neurons facilitates cocaine seeking

• DOI: 10.1038/nn.2282
• Publication Date: 2009-02-22T18:36:37Z
• Authors: Frédéric Ambroggi; Marc Turiault; Aude Milet; Véronique Deroche...; Sébastien Parnaudeau; Eric Balado; Jacques Barik; Rixt van der Veen; Grégoire Maroteaux; Thomas Lemberger; Günther Schütz; Monique Lazar; Michela Marinelli; Pier Vincenzo Piazza; François Tronche
• Keywords: Neurons; [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]; Dopamine; Receptors, Dopamine D1; Mice, Transgenic; Self Administration; 3. Good health; [SDV] Life Sciences [q-bio]; Behavior, Addictive; Cocaine-Related Disorders; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; Receptors, Glucocorticoid; 0302 clinical medicine; Cocaine; Animals; [SDV.NEU]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Neurons and Cognition [q-bio.NC]; [SDV.NEU] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Neurons and Cognition [q-bio.NC]; Stress, Psychological

The glucocorticoid receptor is a ubiquitous transcription factor mediating adaptation to environmental challenges and stress. Selective Nr3c1 (the glucocorticoid receptor gene) ablation in mouse dopaminoceptive neurons expressing dopamine receptor 1a, but not in dopamine-releasing neurons, markedly decreased the motivation of mice to self-administer cocaine, dopamine cell firing and the control exerted by dopaminoceptive neurons on dopamine cell firing activity. In contrast, anxiety was unaffected, indicating that glucocorticoid receptors modify a number of behavioral disorders through different neuronal populations.