ePoster

Effect of social choice-induced voluntary abstinence on incubation of methamphetamine craving and AMPA receptor expression in nucleus accumbens core

Claudia Marchetti, Soami F. Zenoni, Sara Pezza, Ginevra D'Ottavio, Berretta Nicola, Luisa Lo Iacono, Rossella Miele, Marco Venniro, Davide Ragozzino, Ingrid Reverte, Daniele Caprioli
FENS Forum 2024(2024)
Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center, Vienna, Austria

Conference

FENS Forum 2024

Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center, Vienna, Austria

Resources

Authors & Affiliations

Claudia Marchetti, Soami F. Zenoni, Sara Pezza, Ginevra D'Ottavio, Berretta Nicola, Luisa Lo Iacono, Rossella Miele, Marco Venniro, Davide Ragozzino, Ingrid Reverte, Daniele Caprioli

Abstract

Pre-clinical studies on drug addiction and relapse often overlooked volitional social interactions, which are of critical importance in human addiction. Recently, it has been demonstrated that social choice-based voluntary abstinence in rats attenuates the emergence of incubation of methamphetamine (Meth) craving relative to rats subjected to a forced abstinence. In the current study we investigated the molecular mechanisms by which social choice-based voluntary abstinence prevents the incubation of craving. An important mechanism driving cue-induced craving from psychostimulants in forced abstinent rats, is the accumulation of calcium-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs) in the Nucleus Accumbens core. This accumulation strengthens glutamatergic transmission in medium-spiny neurons (MSNs) hence intensifying drug-seeking responses. In the current study we investigated whether social choice-based voluntary abstinence prevents CP-AMPAR accumulation in the Nucleus Accumbens core, thereby reducing the incubation of craving. We indeed observed that social choice-based voluntary abstinence significantly reduces the incubation of Meth craving, however this effect was independent of the CP-AMPAR accumulation in the Nucleus Accumbens. Alternative plasticity mechanisms likely occur in parallel in the NAc during social interaction, which lead to a reduced drug-seeking in social voluntary rats.

Unique ID: fens-24/effect-social-choice-induced-voluntary-3b31a950