Angiotensin II AT1 receptors are involved in neuronal activation induced by amphetamine in a two-injection protocol

PAZ MC; MARCHESE NA; CANCELA LM; BREGONZIO C

JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICINE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY

HINDAWI PUBLISHING CORPORATION

Lugar: New York; Año: 2013 p. 1 - 1

1110-7243

t was already found that Ang II AT1 receptors are involved in the neuroadaptative changes induced by a single exposure toamphetamine, and such changes are related to the development of behavioral and neurochemical sensitization. The inductionof the immediately early gene c-fos has been used to define brain activated areas by amphetamine. Our aim was to evaluate theparticipation of AT1 receptors in the neuronal activation induced by amphetamine sensitization. The study examined the c-fosexpression in mesocorticolimbic areas induced by amphetamine challenge (0.5 mg/kg i.p) in animals pretreated with candesartan,a selective AT1 receptor blocker (3 mg/kg p.o × 5 days), and amphetamine (5 mg/kg i.p) 3 weeks before the challenge. Increasedc-fos immunoreactivity was found in response to the amphetamine challenge in the dorsomedial caudate-putamen and nucleusaccumbens, and both responses were blunted by the AT1 receptor blocker pretreatment. In the infralimbic prefrontal cortex,increased c-fo