Fluoxetine potentiates methylphenidate-induced gene regulation in addiction-related brain regions: concerns for use of cognitive enhancers?

ABSTRACT:

Background

There is growing use of psychostimulant cognitive enhancers such as methylphenidate (Ritalin). Methylphenidate differs from the psychostimulant cocaine because it does not enhance synaptic levels of serotonin. We investigated whether exposure to methylphenidate combined with a serotonin-enhancing medication, the prototypical selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine (Prozac), would produce more "cocaine-like" molecular and behavioral changes.

Methods

We measured the effects of fluoxetine on gene expression induced by the cognitive enhancer methylphenidate in the striatum and nucleus accumbens of rats, by in situ hybridization histochemistry. We also determined whether fluoxetine modified behavioral effects of methylphenidate.

Results

Fluoxeti

SUBMITTER: Steiner H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2829342 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature