RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The Influence of ΔFosB in the Nucleus Accumbens on Natural Reward-Related Behavior
JF The Journal of Neuroscience
JO J. Neurosci.
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP 10272
OP 10277
DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1531-08.2008
VO 28
IS 41
A1 Deanna L Wallace
A1 Vincent Vialou
A1 Loretta Rios
A1 Tiffany L. Carle-Florence
A1 Sumana Chakravarty
A1 Arvind Kumar
A1 Danielle L. Graham
A1 Thomas A. Green
A1 Anne Kirk
A1 Sergio D. Iñiguez
A1 Linda I. Perrotti
A1 Michel Barrot
A1 Ralph J. DiLeone
A1 Eric J. Nestler
A1 Carlos A. Bolaños-Guzmán
YR 2008
UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/28/41/10272.abstract
AB The transcription factor deltaFosB (ΔFosB), induced in nucleus accumbens (NAc) by chronic exposure to drugs of abuse, has been shown to mediate sensitized responses to these drugs. However, less is known about a role for ΔFosB in regulating responses to natural rewards. Here, we demonstrate that two powerful natural reward behaviors, sucrose drinking and sexual behavior, increase levels of ΔFosB in the NAc. We then use viral-mediated gene transfer to study how such ΔFosB induction influences behavioral responses to these natural rewards. We demonstrate that overexpression of ΔFosB in the NAc increases sucrose intake and promotes aspects of sexual behavior. In addition, we show that animals with previous sexual experience, which exhibit increased ΔFosB levels, also show an increase in sucrose consumption. This work suggests that ΔFosB is not only induced in the NAc by drugs of abuse, but also by natural rewarding stimuli. Additionally, our findings show that chronic exposure to stimuli that induce ΔFosB in the NAc can increase consumption of other natural rewards.