Black agouti (ACI) rats show greater drug- and cue-induced reinstatement of methamphetamine-seeking behavior than Fischer 344 and Lewis rats

Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2007 May;87(1):90-7. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2007.04.003. Epub 2007 Apr 11.

Abstract

Fischer 344 (F344) and Lewis (LEW) rats differ in methamphetamine self-administration (SA) and methamphetamine-induced reinstatement of previously extinguished behavior. We sought to determine whether genetic background also influences methamphetamine reinforcement efficacy, conditioned reinstatement, and methamphetamine-primed reinstatement of responding in F344, LEW, and Black Agouti (ACI) rats. We implanted rats with jugular catheters and trained them to self-administer methamphetamine (0.06 mg/kg/infusion) under a progressive ratio (PR) schedule of reinforcement during daily 2-h SA sessions. A compound stimulus (light+tone; LT) was paired with each infusion. Dose-dependent intake was determined for each rat. Rats then entered the extinction phase of the experiment where responding resulted in no programmed consequences. Following extinction sessions, rats underwent conditioned reinstatement testing. For conditioned reinstatement, rats received response-contingent presentations of the LT and no methamphetamine. Last, methamphetamine-primed reinstatement test sessions where conducted where subjects received experimenter delivered infusions of methamphetamine (0.06, 0.12, or 0.24 mg/kg). The strains did not differ in PR responding across the doses tested. The ACI rats demonstrated the highest behavioral output during extinction training, conditioned- and methamphetamine-primed reinstatement of previously extinguished behavior compared to the other strains. These data suggest that genetic background differentially influences extinction, conditioned reinstatement and methamphetamine-primed reinstatement in rats.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amphetamine-Related Disorders / genetics*
  • Amphetamine-Related Disorders / psychology*
  • Animals
  • Central Nervous System Stimulants*
  • Conditioning, Operant / drug effects
  • Cues*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Extinction, Psychological / drug effects
  • Methamphetamine*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Inbred F344
  • Rats, Inbred Lew
  • Recurrence
  • Reinforcement Schedule
  • Self Administration

Substances

  • Central Nervous System Stimulants
  • Methamphetamine