Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
10
pubmed:dateCreated
2005-6-1
pubmed:abstractText
The transcription factor deltaFosB is induced in the nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum by chronic exposure to several drugs of abuse, and increasing evidence supports the possibility that this induction is involved in the addiction process. However, to date there has been no report of deltaFosB induction by drugs of abuse in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), which is also a critical brain reward region. In the present study, we used immunohistochemistry to demonstrate that chronic forced administration of cocaine induces deltaFosB in the rat VTA. This induction occurs selectively in a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) cell population within the posterior tail of the VTA. A similar effect is seen after chronic cocaine self-administration. Induction of deltaFosB in the VTA occurs after psychostimulant treatment only: it is seen with both chronic cocaine and amphetamine, but not with chronic opiates or stress. The expression of deltaFosB appears to be mediated by dopamine systems, as repeated administration of a dopamine uptake inhibitor induced deltaFosB in the VTA, while administration of serotonin or norepinephrine uptake inhibitors failed to produce this effect. Time course analysis showed that, following 14 days of cocaine administration, deltaFosB persists in the VTA for almost 2 weeks after cocaine withdrawal. This accumulation and persistence may account for some of the long-lasting changes in the brain associated with chronic drug use. These results provide the first evidence of deltaFosB induction in a discrete population of GABA cells in the VTA, which may regulate the functioning of the brain's reward mechanisms.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
May
pubmed:issn
0953-816X
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
21
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
2817-24
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2005
pubmed:articleTitle
DeltaFosB accumulates in a GABAergic cell population in the posterior tail of the ventral tegmental area after psychostimulant treatment.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Psychiatry and Center for Basic Neuroscience, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9070, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S., Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural