The nucleus accumbens core has a more important role in resisting reactivation of extinguished conditioned place preference in morphine-addicted rats

J Int Med Res. 2008 Jul-Aug;36(4):673-81. doi: 10.1177/147323000803600408.

Abstract

We investigated the roles of the core and shell subfields of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in drug- or foot-shock-induced reactivation of extinguished conditioned place preference (CPP) in morphine-addicted rats. Rats were given electrolytic lesions to either the core or shell after CPP was established. After surgery, a reduction of CPP scores to morphine was observed in all groups. During the reacquisition of morphine-seeking behaviour, rats in the shell and sham lesion groups regained their CPP, while the CPP in core lesion rats remained severely impaired. Similarly, foot-shock-induced reactivation of CPP in the core lesion group was significantly lower than that of the shell and sham lesion groups, and there was no significant difference between these latter groups. Our results demonstrate that NAc core and shell lesions elicited dissociable effects on reactivation of extinguished CPP in rats, suggesting that the NAc core might play a more important role in resisting reactivation of extinguished CPP in morphine-addicted rats.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects
  • Conditioning, Psychological*
  • Extinction, Psychological*
  • Humans
  • Morphine / pharmacology
  • Morphine Dependence*
  • Nucleus Accumbens / anatomy & histology
  • Nucleus Accumbens / metabolism*
  • Nucleus Accumbens / pathology
  • Random Allocation
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Substances

  • Morphine