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Contributions of prolonged contingent and noncontingent cocaine exposure to enhanced reinstatement of cocaine seeking in rats

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Abstract

Rationale

Recent evidence suggests that prolonged cocaine self-administration produces escalation in drug-seeking behavior in rats analogous to the increased intake patterns observed in cocaine-dependent individuals. However, the contributions of prolonged access to cocaine taking vs the pharmacologic effects of the consequent increased cocaine exposure on escalation of drug-seeking behaviors have not been investigated.

Objective

The present study assessed the effects of these two factors on maintenance of cocaine self-administration and reinstatement of cocaine seeking.

Methods

Male, Sprague–Dawley rats were trained to self-administer cocaine (0.2 mg/i.v. infusion; FR1) for 1 h per day for 10 sessions followed by short access (1 h/day), contingent long access (6 h/day), or noncontingent long access (1 h contingent + 5 h of yoked cocaine infusions/day; i.e., short access + yoked) to cocaine for 14 daily sessions. All rats underwent extinction training and were subsequently tested for the ability of cocaine-paired cues or a cocaine-priming injection (7.5 mg/kg i.p.) to reinstate extinguished cocaine seeking.

Results

Rats in all groups maintained stable responding for cocaine reinforcement and subsequently showed significant reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior. Conditioned-cued reinstatement was enhanced after the contingent long access and short access + yoked cocaine exposure relative to short access cocaine exposure. Conversely, cocaine-primed reinstatement was enhanced after contingent long-access cocaine exposure relative to the other two conditions.

Conclusions

Enhanced drug seeking produced by prolonged daily cocaine self-administration is due to a combination of behavioral and pharmacological factors. Specifically, conditioned-cued reinstatement is enhanced by increased cocaine intake and cocaine-primed reinstatement is enhanced by increased cocaine taking.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Jordan Case, Macon Parker, and Ritu Mehta for providing excellent technical assistance. This research was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse grants DA10462 and DA15369, and NIH grant C06 RR015455.

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Correspondence to Ronald E. See.

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Kippin, T.E., Fuchs, R.A. & See, R.E. Contributions of prolonged contingent and noncontingent cocaine exposure to enhanced reinstatement of cocaine seeking in rats. Psychopharmacology 187, 60–67 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-006-0386-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-006-0386-3

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