@article{APS10660,
author = {Man-yi Jing and Xiao-yan Ding and Xiao Han and Tai-yun Zhao and Min-min Luo and Ning Wu and Jin Li and Rui Song},
title = {Activation of mesocorticolimbic dopamine projections initiates cue-induced reinstatement of reward seeking in mice},
journal = {Acta Pharmacologica Sinica},
volume = {43},
number = {9},
year = {2022},
keywords = {},
abstract = {Drug addiction is characterized by relapse when addicts are re-exposed to drug-associated environmental cues, but the neural mechanisms underlying cue-induced relapse are unclear. In the present study we investigated the role of a specific dopaminergic (DA) pathway from ventral tegmental area (VTA) to nucleus accumbens core (NAcore) in mouse cue-induced relapse. Optical intracranial self-stimulation (oICSS) was established in DAT-Cre transgenic mice. We showed that optogenetic excitation of DA neurons in the VTA or their projection terminals in NAcore, NAshell or infralimbic prefrontal cortex (PFC-IL) was rewarding. Furthermore, activation of the VTA-NAcore pathway alone was sufficient and necessary to induce reinstatement of oICSS. In cocaine self-administration model, cocaine-associated cues activated VTA DA neurons as assessed by intracellular GCaMP signals. Cue- induced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking was triggered by optogenetic stimulation of the VTA-NAcore pathway, and inhibited by chemogenetic inhibition of this pathway. Together, these results demonstrate that cue-induced reinstatement of reward seeking is in part mediated by activation of the VTA-NAcore DA pathway.},
issn = {1745-7254}, url = {http://www.chinaphar.com/article/view/10660}
}