QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

The Journal of Neuroscience, July 25, 2007, 27(30):7921-7928; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1859-07.2007

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in J. Neurosci. Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (49) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kourrich, S. Articles by Thomas, M. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kourrich, S. Articles by Thomas, M. J.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
Cocaine Experience Controls Bidirectional Synaptic Plasticity in the Nucleus Accumbens

Saïd Kourrich,¹ Patrick E. Rothwell,^1,2 Jason R. Klug,¹ and Mark J. Thomas^1,2

¹Departments of Neuroscience and Psychology and Institute of Human Genetics, and ²Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Mark J. Thomas, University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church Street Southeast, Minneapolis, MN 55455. Email: tmhomas{at}umn.edu

Plasticity of glutamatergic synapses is a fundamental mechanism through which experience changes neural function to impact future behavior. In animal models of addiction, glutamatergic signaling in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) exerts powerful control over drug-seeking behavior. However, little is known about whether, how or when experience with drugs may trigger synaptic plasticity in this key nucleus. Using whole-cell synaptic physiology in NAc brain slices, we demonstrate that a progression of bidirectional changes in glutamatergic synaptic strength occurs after repeated in vivo exposure to cocaine. During a protracted drug-free period, NAc neurons from cocaine-experienced mice develop a robust potentiation of AMPAR-mediated synaptic transmission. However, a single re-exposure to cocaine during extended withdrawal becomes a potent stimulus for synaptic depression, abruptly reversing the initial potentiation. These enduring modifications in AMPAR-mediated responses and plasticity may provide a neural substrate for disrupted processing of drug-related stimuli in drug-experienced individuals.

Key words: AMPAR; NMDAR; metaplasticity; synaptic scaling; long-term depression; psychostimulant; addiction

---

Received Dec. 20, 2006; revised June 11, 2007; accepted June 11, 2007.

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Mark J. Thomas, University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church Street Southeast, Minneapolis, MN 55455. Email: tmhomas{at}umn.edu

Related articles in J. Neurosci.:

Cocaine Experience Guides Dynamic Changes in AMPA Receptors within the Nucleus Accumbens

Joshua L. Jones
J. Neurosci. 2008 28: 2967-2969. [Full Text]  

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Kourrich and M. J. Thomas Similar Neurons, Opposite Adaptations: Psychostimulant Experience Differentially Alters Firing Properties in Accumbens Core versus Shell J. Neurosci., September 30, 2009; 29(39): 12275 - 12283. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. R. Campioni, M. Xu, and D. S. McGehee Stress-Induced Changes in Nucleus Accumbens Glutamate Synaptic Plasticity J Neurophysiol, June 1, 2009; 101(6): 3192 - 3198. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Schumann and R. Yaka Prolonged Withdrawal from Repeated Noncontingent Cocaine Exposure Increases NMDA Receptor Expression and ERK Activity in the Nucleus Accumbens J. Neurosci., May 27, 2009; 29(21): 6955 - 6963. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Bakshi, S. Gennaro, C. Y. Chan, M. Kosciuk, J. Liu, A. Stucky, E. Trenkner, E. Friedman, R. G. Nagele, and H.-Y. Wang Prenatal Cocaine Reduces AMPA Receptor Synaptic Expression through Hyperphosphorylation of the Synaptic Anchoring Protein GRIP J. Neurosci., May 13, 2009; 29(19): 6308 - 6319. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Ishikawa, P. Mu, J. T. Moyer, J. A. Wolf, R. M. Quock, N. M. Davies, X.-t. Hu, O. M. Schluter, and Y. Dong Homeostatic Synapse-Driven Membrane Plasticity in Nucleus Accumbens Neurons J. Neurosci., May 6, 2009; 29(18): 5820 - 5831. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H.-w. Shen, S. Toda, K. Moussawi, A. Bouknight, D. S. Zahm, and P. W. Kalivas Altered Dendritic Spine Plasticity in Cocaine-Withdrawn Rats J. Neurosci., March 4, 2009; 29(9): 2876 - 2884. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. P. DiRocco, Z. S. Scheiner, C. B. Sindreu, G. C.-K. Chan, and D. R. Storm A Role for Calmodulin-Stimulated Adenylyl Cyclases in Cocaine Sensitization J. Neurosci., February 25, 2009; 29(8): 2393 - 2403. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. M. Pacchioni, J. Vallone, P. F. Worley, and P. W. Kalivas Neuronal Pentraxins Modulate Cocaine-Induced Neuroadaptations J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther., January 1, 2009; 328(1): 183 - 192. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. K. Bachtell and D. W. Self Renewed Cocaine Exposure Produces Transient Alterations in Nucleus Accumbens AMPA Receptor-Mediated Behavior J. Neurosci., November 26, 2008; 28(48): 12808 - 12814. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. R. Famous, V. Kumaresan, G. Sadri-Vakili, H. D. Schmidt, D. F. Mierke, J.-H. J. Cha, and R. C. Pierce Phosphorylation-Dependent Trafficking of GluR2-Containing AMPA Receptors in the Nucleus Accumbens Plays a Critical Role in the Reinstatement of Cocaine Seeking J. Neurosci., October 22, 2008; 28(43): 11061 - 11070. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Stewart Psychological and neural mechanisms of relapse Phil Trans R Soc B, October 12, 2008; 363(1507): 3147 - 3158. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X. Sun, M. Milovanovic, Y. Zhao, and M. E. Wolf Acute and Chronic Dopamine Receptor Stimulation Modulates AMPA Receptor Trafficking in Nucleus Accumbens Neurons Cocultured with Prefrontal Cortex Neurons J. Neurosci., April 16, 2008; 28(16): 4216 - 4230. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. L. Jones Cocaine Experience Guides Dynamic Changes in AMPA Receptors within the Nucleus Accumbens J. Neurosci., March 19, 2008; 28(12): 2967 - 2969. [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. C. Boudreau, J. M. Reimers, M. Milovanovic, and M. E. Wolf Cell Surface AMPA Receptors in the Rat Nucleus Accumbens Increase during Cocaine Withdrawal But Internalize after Cocaine Challenge in Association with Altered Activation of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases J. Neurosci., September 26, 2007; 27(39): 10621 - 10635. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help