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Altered responsiveness to cocaine in rats exposed to methylphenidate during development

Nature Neuroscience volume 5, pages 13–14 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Evidence in laboratory animals indicates that exposure to stimulants produces sensitization to their rewarding effects1, a process that in humans would be expected to increase the risk of substance abuse. However, therapeutic administration of stimulants such as methylphenidate (MPH) in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder reportedly reduces the risk of substance abuse2. Here we show in rats that exposure to MPH during pre-adolescence causes behavioral and neurobiological adaptations that endure into adulthood, and that are consistent with increased sensitivity to the aversive effects of cocaine.

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Figure 1: Cocaine effects during adulthood after juvenile (pre-adolescent) exposure to methylphenidate (MPH).
Figure 2: Cocaine effects during later adulthood after adult exposure to methylphenidate (MPH).
Figure 3: Western immunoblot6 of CREB expression in NAc of rats exposed to methylphenidate (MPH) or vehicle (VEH).

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Acknowledgements

Supported by the Tourette's Syndrome Association (S.L.A.), the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (A.A.), the Whitehall Foundation (W.A.C.) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA12736, W.A.C.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, 02478, Massachusetts, USA

    Susan L. Andersen, Andreas Arvanitogiannis, Andrea M. Pliakas, Celeste LeBlanc & William A. Carlezon Jr.

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  1. Susan L. Andersen
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  2. Andreas Arvanitogiannis
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  3. Andrea M. Pliakas
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  4. Celeste LeBlanc
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  5. William A. Carlezon Jr.
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Correspondence to Susan L. Andersen.

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Andersen, S., Arvanitogiannis, A., Pliakas, A. et al. Altered responsiveness to cocaine in rats exposed to methylphenidate during development. Nat Neurosci 5, 13–14 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nn777

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