Luca2019_Article_HeroinVersusCocaineOppositeCho.pdf (1.72 MB)
Heroin versus cocaine: opposite choice as a function of context but not of drug history in the rat
Version 2 2023-06-12, 09:06
Version 1 2023-06-09, 17:52
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-12, 09:06 authored by Maria Teresa De Luca, Christian Montanari, Maria Meringolo, Laura Contu, Michele Celentano, Aldo BadianiRationale Previous studies have shown that rats trained to self-administer heroin and cocaine exhibit opposite preferences, as a function of setting, when tested in a choice paradigm. Rats tested at home prefer heroin to cocaine whereas rats tested outside the home prefer cocaine to heroin. Here we investigated whether drug history would influence subsequent drug preference in distinct settings. Based on a theoretical model of drug-setting interaction, we predicted that regardless of drug history rats would prefer heroin at home and cocaine outside the home. Methods Rats with double-lumen catheters were first trained to self-administer either heroin (25 µg/kg) or cocaine (400 µg/kg) for 12 consecutive sessions. Twenty-six rats were housed in the self-administration chambers (thus, they were tested at home) whereas 30 rats lived in distinct home cages and were transferred to self-administration chambers only for the self-administration session (thus, they were tested outside the home). The rats were then allowed to choose repeatedly between heroin and cocaine within the same session for 7 sessions. Results Regardless of the training drug, the rats tested outside the home preferred cocaine to heroin whereas the rats tested at home preferred heroin to cocaine. There was no correlation between drug preference and drug intake during the training phase. Conclusion Drug preferences were powerfully influenced by the setting but, quite surprisingly, not by drug history. This suggests that, under certain conditions, associative learning processes and drug-induced neuroplastic adaptations play a minor role in shaping individual preferences for one drug or the other.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
PsychopharmacologyISSN
0033-3158Publisher
Springer VerlagExternal DOI
Issue
2Volume
236Page range
787-798Department affiliated with
- Psychology Publications
Research groups affiliated with
- Sussex Neuroscience Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2019-05-21First Open Access (FOA) Date
2019-05-21First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2019-05-20Usage metrics
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