Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: Administration of heroin results in the engagement of multiple brain regions and the rewarding and addictive effects are mediated, at least partially, through activation of the mesolimbic dopamine system. However, less is known about dopamine system function following chronic exposure to heroin. Withdrawal from chronic heroin exposure is likely to drive a state of low dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), as previously observed during withdrawal from other drug classes. Thus, we aimed to investigate alterations in NAc dopamine terminal function following chronic heroin self-administration to identify a mechanism for dopaminergic adaptations. Adult male Long Evans rats were trained to self-administer heroin (0.05 mg/kg/inf, IV) and then placed on a long access (FR1, 6-h, unlimited inf, 0.05 mg/kg/inf) protocol to induce escalation of intake. Following heroin self-administration, rats had decreased basal extracellular levels of dopamine and blunted dopamine response following a heroin challenge (0.1 mg/kg/inf, IV) in the NAc compared to saline controls. FSCV revealed that heroin-exposed rats exhibited reduced stimulated dopamine release during tonic-like, single-pulse stimulations, but increased phasic-like dopamine release during multi-pulse stimulation trains (5 pulses, 5-100 Hz) in addition to an altered dynamic range of release stimulation intensities when compared to controls. Further, we found that presynaptic D3 autoreceptor and kappa-opioid receptor agonist responsivity were increased following heroin self-administration. These results reveal a marked low dopamine state following heroin exposure and suggest the combination of altered dopamine release dynamics may contribute to increased heroin seeking.
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158106
Language: English
Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,408
Awards: Biased Kappa Opioid Agonists as Non-addictive Analgesics, G1862172940, G212286401, G4180577200, G4210520454, Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction Treatment, G5233092998, G5434719651, G5438284083, G5959423263, G6462749400, G6469400372, G6504033392, G6510228163, G6858913882, Synaptogyrin-3 promotes behavioral resilience and protects against cocaine-induced dopaminergic adaptations, G8545398155, G8938323514, G9000198522, G9000332392, Alcohol/Stress Effects on Kappa Opioid Receptors in the Amygdala and Accumbens, G955848930, Dopamine D3 Receptors as a Potential Therapeutic Target for Heroin Abuse
OpenAlex ID: W4287010294