Article (Scientific journals)
Differential Effects of Cocaine on Dopamine Neuron Firing in Awake and Anesthetized Rats
Koulchitsky, Stanislav; DE BACKER, Benjamin; Quertemont, Etienne et al.
2012In Neuropsychopharmacology, 37, p. 1559-1571
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Abstract :
[en] Cocaine (benzoylmethylecgonine), a natural alkaloid, is a powerful psychostimulant and a highly addictive drug. Unfortunately, the relationships between its behavioral and electrophysiological effects are not clear. We investigated the effects of cocaine on the firing of midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons, both in anesthetized and awake rats, using pre-implanted multielectrode arrays and a recently developed telemetric recording system. In anesthetized animals, cocaine (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) produced a general decrease of the firing rate and bursting of DA neurons, sometimes preceded by a transient increase in both parameters, as previously reported by others. In awake rats, however, injection of cocaine led to a very different pattern of changes in firing. A decrease in firing rate and bursting was observed in only 14% of DA neurons. Most of the other DA neurons underwent increases in firing rate and bursting: these changes were correlated with locomotor activity in 52% of the neurons, but were uncorrelated in 29% of them. Drug concentration measurements indicated that the observed differences between the two conditions did not have a pharmacokinetic origin. Taken together, our results demonstrate that cocaine injection differentially affects the electrical activity of DA neurons in awake and anesthetized states. The observed increases in neuronal activity may in part reflect the cocaine-induced synaptic potentiation found ex vivo in these neurons. Our observations also show that electrophysiological recordings in awake animals can uncover drug effects, which are masked by general anesthesia.
Disciplines :
Pharmacy, pharmacology & toxicology
Author, co-author :
Koulchitsky, Stanislav ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Pharmacologie
DE BACKER, Benjamin ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Pharmacie > Chimie toxicologique
Quertemont, Etienne  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de Psychologie : cognition et comportement > Psychologie quantitative
Charlier, Corinne  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de pharmacie > Chimie toxicologique
Seutin, Vincent ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Pharmacologie
Language :
English
Title :
Differential Effects of Cocaine on Dopamine Neuron Firing in Awake and Anesthetized Rats
Publication date :
2012
Journal title :
Neuropsychopharmacology
ISSN :
0893-133X
eISSN :
1740-634X
Publisher :
Nature Publishing Group, London, United Kingdom
Volume :
37
Pages :
1559-1571
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Available on ORBi :
since 22 June 2012

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