Enkephalin is essential for the molecular and behavioral expression of cocaine sensitization.

MONGI BRAGATO B; ZAMPONI E; GARCIA KELLER C; ASSIS MA; MASCO DH; ZIMMER A; CANCELA LM

ADDICTION BIOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2016 p. 326 - 326

1355-6215

ehavioral sensitization to cocaine is associated to neuroadaptations that contribute to addiction. Enkephalin is highly expressed in mesocorticolimbic areas associated with cocaine-induced sensitization; however, their influence on cocaine-dependent behavioral and neuronal plasticity has not been explained. In this study, we employed a knockout (KO) model to investigate the contribution of enkephalin in cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization. Wild-type (WT) and proenkephalin KO mice were treated with cocaine once daily for 9 days to induce sensitization. Additionally, to clarify the observations in KO mice, the same procedure was applied in C57BL/6 mice, except that naloxone was administered before each cocaine injection. All animals received a cocaine challenge on days 15 and 21 of the treatment to evaluate the expression of locomotor sensitization. On day 21, microdialysis measures of accumbal extracellular dopamine, Western blotting for GluR1 AMP