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Sex differences in behavioral and neural cross-sensitization and escalated cocaine taking as a result of episodic social defeat stress in rats

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Abstract

Rationale

Episodic social defeat stress results in cross-sensitization to cocaine, characterized by augmentation of locomotor activity, dopamine (DA) levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and cocaine self-administration during a 24-h “binge” in male rats. However, females are more vulnerable than males at each phase of cocaine addiction, and while these sex differences have been replicated in rats, the role of social stress in females remains largely neglected.

Objective

This study examined sex and estrous cycle differences in behavioral and dopaminergic cross-sensitization to cocaine, as well as cocaine taking in an unlimited-access self-administration “binge.”

Methods

Long-Evans rats underwent episodic social defeat and were assessed 10 days later for either (1) behavioral sensitization, as determined by locomotor activity in response to acute cocaine (10 mg/kg, i.p.), (2) neural sensitization, as determined by in vivo microdialysis of DA in the NAc shell in response to acute cocaine, or (3) intravenous self-administration of cocaine (0.3 mg/kg/infusion) in an unlimited-access “binge.”

Results

Social defeat stress resulted in behavioral and dopaminergic cross-sensitization in both sexes, but the effect was larger and longer lasting in stressed females. Furthermore, while stress engendered a longer “binge” in both sexes, females had a significantly longer “binge” duration than males.

Conclusions

These data suggest that socially stressed females exhibit a larger and longer lasting behavioral and neural cross-sensitization, as well as more dysregulated cocaine taking, than males possibly due to different alterations in the dopaminergic response in the NAc. Furthermore, estrogens appear to play a facilitatory role in both behavioral and dopaminergic sensitization.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by NIH Grant DA031734. We would like to thank Rachel Doyle, Melanie Monroe, and Andrew Terrano for their great help.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Tufts University, 530 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, USA

    Elizabeth N. Holly, Akiko Shimamoto, Joseph F. DeBold & Klaus A. Miczek

  2. Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA

    Klaus A. Miczek

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  1. Elizabeth N. Holly
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  2. Akiko Shimamoto
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  3. Joseph F. DeBold
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  4. Klaus A. Miczek
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Correspondence to Elizabeth N. Holly.

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Holly, E.N., Shimamoto, A., DeBold, J.F. et al. Sex differences in behavioral and neural cross-sensitization and escalated cocaine taking as a result of episodic social defeat stress in rats. Psychopharmacology 224, 179–188 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-012-2846-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-012-2846-2

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