Alcohol potentiates the psychostimulant and reinforcing effects of mephedrone in adolescent mice: role of D3 receptors and associated changes in gene expression

ABSTRACT: Mephedrone (Meph) is a novel psychostimulant whose recreational consumption is often associated to other drugs, especially alcohol (EtOH). This kind of drug consumption during adolescence is a matter of concern. We studied, in adolescent CD-1 mice, whether low-moderate doses of EtOH could enhance the psychostimulant (locomotor acivity) and reinforcing (conditioned place preference, CPP) effects of mephedrone. Simultaneously we also determined the most relevant transcriptional changes associated to a reinforcing treatment. A single dose of Meph (10 mg/kg, sc) induced an increase of about 100% in locomotor activity, which was a further enhanced by 40% when associated with a dose of EtOH (1 g/kg). The hyperlocomotion was partially antagonized by ketanserin and haloperidol, but only haloperido

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

SUBMITTER: Andrés Ciudad 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-58279 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress