Cocaine withdrawal in rats selectively bred for low (LoS) versus high (HiS) saccharin intake

Cocaine use results in anhedonia during withdrawal, but it is not clear how this emotional state interacts with an individual's vulnerability for addiction. Rats selectively bred for high (HiS) or low (LoS) saccharin intake are a well-established model of drug abuse vulnerability, with HiS rats being more likely to consume sweets and drugs of abuse such as cocaine and heroin (Carroll et al., 2002) than LoS rats. This study examined whether the motivational consequences of cocaine withdrawal are differentially expressed in HiS and LoS rats. HiS and LoS rats were trained to respond for a sucrose reward on a progressive ratio (PR) schedule of reinforcement and breakpoints were measured during and after chronic, continuous exposure to cocaine (30 mg/kg/day). Cocaine, but not saline, treatment resulted in lower breakpoints for sucrose during withdrawal in LoS rats only. These results suggest anhedonia during withdrawal is more pronounced in the less vulnerable LoS rats. Fewer motivational deficits during withdrawal may contribute to greater drug vulnerability in the HiS line.