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The Journal of Neuroscience, August 6, 2008, 28(32):8025-8033; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1371-08.2008

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Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
Dopamine Signaling through D₁-Like versus D₂-Like Receptors in the Nucleus Accumbens Core versus Shell Differentially Modulates Nicotine Reward Sensitivity

Steven R. Laviolette, Nicole M. Lauzon, Stephanie F. Bishop, Ninglei Sun, and Huibing Tan

Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The Schulich School of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N5Y 5T8

Correspondence should be addressed to Steven R. Laviolette at the above address. Email: steven.laviolette{at}schulich.uwo.ca

Considerable evidence implicates the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system in the processing of nicotine's reinforcing properties, specifically the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the terminal fields of VTA DAergic projections to the "core" (NAcore) and "shell" (NAshell) subdivisions of the nucleus accumbens (NAc). However, the specific roles of DA D₁-like and D₂-like receptor subtypes in nicotine reward processing within these NAc subregions have not been elucidated. We report that microinfusions of DA D₁-like or D₂-like receptor-specific antagonists into NAcore or NAshell double dissociate the rewarding and aversive properties of systemic or intra-VTA nicotine, and differentially regulate sensitivity to the rewarding properties as well as the motivational valence of either intra-VTA or systemic nicotine administration. Using a place conditioning procedure, NAshell infusions of a D₂-like receptor antagonist switched the motivational valence of intra-VTA nicotine from aversive to rewarding and potentiated nicotine reward sensitivity to sub-reward threshold intra-VTA nicotine doses. In contrast, NAcore infusions of a D₁-like receptor antagonist switched intra-VTA nicotine aversion to reward, and potentiated reward sensitivity to sub-reward threshold nicotine doses. Thus, D₁-like versus D₂-like receptors in NAcore versus NAshell subdivisions play functionally dissociable roles in modulating systemic or intra-VTA nicotine motivational processing.

Key words: nicotine; addiction; dopamine; ventral tegmental area; receptors; nucleus accumbens

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Received March 31, 2008; revised July 2, 2008; accepted July 2, 2008.

Correspondence should be addressed to Steven R. Laviolette at the above address. Email: steven.laviolette{at}schulich.uwo.ca

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