Orexin/hypocretin signaling at the orexin 1 receptor regulates cue-elicited cocaine-seeking

Eur J Neurosci. 2009 Aug;30(3):493-503. doi: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2009.06844.x. Epub 2009 Jul 28.

Abstract

The orexin/hypocretin system has recently been implicated in reward-processing and addiction. We examined the involvement of the orexin system in cue-induced reinstatement of extinguished cocaine-seeking by administering the orexin 1 receptor antagonist SB-334867 (SB) or the orexin 2 receptor antagonist 4-pyridylmethyl (S)-tert-leucyl 6,7-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (4PT) prior to reinstatement testing. Male Sprague Dawley rats self-administered cocaine in 2-h sessions for 10 days, followed by extinction training. Reinstatement of cocaine-seeking was elicited by presentation of tone + light cues previously paired with cocaine infusions. SB (10, 20 and 30 mg/kg) dose-dependently decreased cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking without significantly affecting responding during late extinction. 4PT (10 and 30 mg/kg) did not significantly alter cue-induced reinstatement. In separate experiments, the highest doses of SB and 4PT had no significant effect on established cocaine self-administration, and 4PT reduced spontaneous activity in a locomotor test to a greater extent than SB. Finally, SB (30 mg/kg) had no effect on the acquisition of cocaine-paired cues during a Pavlovian cocaine-stimulus conditioning session in the operant chamber. Pretreatment with SB prior to the Pavlovian acquisition session had no effect on subsequent cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking elicited by those cues. However, pretreatment with SB prior to a second reinstatement session in the same animals significantly attenuated the expression of cue-induced reinstatement. These results show that orexin transmission at the orexin 1 receptor, but not the orexin 2 receptor, is necessary for the reinstatement of cocaine-seeking elicited by drug-paired cues and that orexin signaling is not critical for cocaine reinforcement or cocaine-stimulus conditioning.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior, Addictive / metabolism*
  • Behavior, Addictive / physiopathology
  • Benzoxazoles / pharmacology
  • Brain / drug effects
  • Brain / physiology*
  • Cocaine / pharmacology
  • Cocaine-Related Disorders / metabolism
  • Cocaine-Related Disorders / physiopathology
  • Cues
  • Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Extinction, Psychological / drug effects
  • Extinction, Psychological / physiology
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Naphthyridines
  • Neuropeptides / metabolism*
  • Orexin Receptors
  • Orexins
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Neuropeptide / metabolism*
  • Reinforcement, Psychology
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*
  • Urea / analogs & derivatives
  • Urea / pharmacology

Substances

  • 1-(2-methylbenzoxazol-6-yl)-3-(1,5)naphthyridin-4-yl urea
  • Benzoxazoles
  • Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Naphthyridines
  • Neuropeptides
  • Orexin Receptors
  • Orexins
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • Receptors, Neuropeptide
  • Urea
  • Cocaine