Perinatal protein deprivation facilitates accumbal ERK phosphorylation in cocaine- sensitized adult rats.

VELAZQUEZ E.E.; VALDOMERO A.; MALDONADO N.M.; ORSINGHER O.A.; CUADRA G.R.

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2013 vol. 241 p. 222 - 222

n previous studies we described that perinatal protein deprivation facilitates the development and expression of behavioral sensitization to cocaine. In this research, we explored whether the increased reactivity observed in deprived (D) versus control (C) rats is also evident during drug-free withdrawal periods. Considering that activation of the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) is suggested to be involved in cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization, we study the effects of perinatal protein deprivation on phosphorylated ERK2 (pERK2) protein levels in the NAc (core and shell) during different drug-free withdrawal periods. To induce behavioral sensitization, C- and D-rats received a daily injection of cocaine (5 or 10 mg/kg, i.p.) for 7 days and locomotor activity was performed on days 1 and 7. Cocaine sensitized animals were left drug-free and pERK2 was assessed on withdrawal days (WD) 1, 4, 7 and 21. In the NAc core, cocaine induced ERK signaling pathway activatio