Co-administration of ethanol and nicotine heightens sensitivity to ethanol reward within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell and increasing NAc shell BDNF is sufficient to enhance ethanol reward in naive Wistar rats.

ABSTRACT: Alcohol use disorder most commonly presents as a polydrug disorder where greater than 85% are estimated to smoke. EtOH and nicotine (NIC) co-abuse or exposure results in unique neuroadaptations that are linked to behaviors that promote drug use. The current experiments aimed to identify neuroadaptations within the mesolimbic pathway produced by concurrent EtOH and NIC exposure. The experiments used four overall groups of male Wistar rats consisting of vehicle, EtOH or NIC alone, and EtOH+NIC. Drug exposure through direct infusion into the posterior ventral tegmental area (pVTA) stimulated release of glutamate and dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell, which was quantified through high-performance liquid chromatography. Additionally, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein

SUBMITTER: Waeiss RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10826843 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature