Voltage-gated potassium channels control extended access cocaine seeking: a role for nucleus accumbens astrocytes.

ABSTRACT: Dopaminergic signaling in the nucleus accumbens shell (NAc) regulates neuronal activity relevant to reward-related learning, including cocaine-associated behaviors. Although astrocytes respond to dopamine and cocaine with structural changes, the impact of dopamine and cocaine on astrocyte functional plasticity has not been widely studied. Specifically, behavioral implications of voltage-gated channel activity in the canonically non-excitable astrocytes are not known. We characterized potassium channel function in NAc astrocytes following exposure to exogenous dopamine or cocaine self-administration training under short (2 h/day) and extended (6 h/day) access schedules. Electrophysiological, Ca²⁺ imaging, mRNA, and mass spectrometry tools were used for molecular characterization.

SUBMITTER: Xia M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10789875 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature