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The Journal of Neuroscience, August 19, 2009, 29(33):10410-10415; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2950-09.2009

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Brief Communications
Voluntary Nicotine Consumption Triggers In Vivo Potentiation of Cortical Excitatory Drives to Midbrain Dopaminergic Neurons

Stéphanie Caillé,^2,3 * Karine Guillem,^4 * Martine Cador,^2,3 Olivier Manzoni,^1,2 and François Georges^1,2

¹Inserm U862, Neurocentre Magendie, Pathophysiology of Synaptic Plasticity Group, ²University of Bordeaux, and ³Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 5227, Neuropsychopharmacology of Addiction Group, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux F-33076, France, and ⁴Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Correspondence should be addressed to either of the following: François Georges, Inserm U862, Neurocentre Magendie, Pathophysiology of Synaptic Plasticity Group, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux F-33076, France, Email: francois.georges{at}inserm.fr; or Stéphanie Caillé, CNRS UMR 5227, Neuropsychopharmacology of Addiction Group, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux F-33076, France, E-mail: Email: stephanie.garnier{at}u-bordeaux2.fr

Active response to either natural or pharmacological reward causes synaptic modifications to excitatory synapses on dopamine (DA) neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Here, we examine these modifications using nicotine, the main addictive component of tobacco, which is a potent regulator of VTA DA neurons. Using an in vivo electrophysiological technique, we investigated the role of key components of the limbic circuit, the infralimbic cortex (ILCx) and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), in operant behaviors related to nicotine reward. Our results indicated that nicotine self-administration in rats, but not passive delivery, triggers hyperactivity of VTA DA neurons. The data suggest that potentiation of the ILCx-BNST excitatory pathway is involved in these modifications in VTA DA neurons. Thus, recruitment of these specific excitatory inputs to VTA DA neurons may be a neural correlate for the learned association between active responding and the reward experience.

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Received June 22, 2009; accepted July 18, 2009.

Correspondence should be addressed to either of the following: François Georges, Inserm U862, Neurocentre Magendie, Pathophysiology of Synaptic Plasticity Group, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux F-33076, France, Email: francois.georges{at}inserm.fr; or Stéphanie Caillé, CNRS UMR 5227, Neuropsychopharmacology of Addiction Group, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux F-33076, France, E-mail: Email: stephanie.garnier{at}u-bordeaux2.fr

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