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A Protocol for Measuring Cue Reactivity in a Rat Model of Cocaine Use Disorder
Published on: June 18, 2018
CRF-CRF1 system activation mediates withdrawal-induced increases in nicotine self-administration in
Olivier George1, Sandy Ghozland, Marc R Azar
1Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. ogeorge@scripps.edu
Abstract:
Nicotine, the main psychoactive ingredient of tobacco, induces negative emotional symptoms during abstinence that contribute to a profound craving for nicotine. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying how nicotine produces dependence remains poorly understood. We demonstrate one mechanism for both the anxiety-like symptoms of withdrawal and excessive nicotine intake observed after abstinence, through recruitment of the extrahypothalamic stress peptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system and activation of CRF(1) receptors. Overactivation of the CRF-CRF(1) system may contribute to nicotine dependence and may represent a prominent target for investigating the vulnerability to tobacco addiction.
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