Nitrous oxide exerts rewarding effect via regulating D1 receptor and BDNF pathway in ventral tegmental area-nucleus accumbens dopamine circuit.

ABSTRACT: Recreational use of nitrous oxide (N₂O) has risen dramatically over the past decades. This study aimed to examine its rewarding effect and the underlying mechanisms. The exposure of mice to a subanesthetic concentration (20%) of N₂O for 30 min for 4 consecutive days paired with N₂O in the morning and paired with the air in the afternoon produced apparent rewarding behavior in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. This was abrogated by microinjection into the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of the dopamine (DA) D1 receptor antagonist SCH23390, but not the D2 antagonist haloperidol. N₂O robustly enhanced DAergic neuronal activity of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the concentration of DA in the NAc. The repeated N₂O exposure also

SUBMITTER: Li WQ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11775255 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature