Drug-taking in a socio-sexual context enhances vulnerability for addiction in male rats.

ABSTRACT: Vulnerability to develop addiction is influenced by numerous factors, including social behavior. Specifically, in human users, drug taking in a socio-sexual context appears to enhance further drug-seeking behavior. Users report heightened sexual pleasure as a motivation for further drug use and display risk behaviors even when tested in drug-free state. Here, using a preclinical model of limited voluntary drug use in rats, the hypothesis was tested that methamphetamine (Meth)-taking concurrently with socio-sexual experience increases vulnerability to addiction. Male Sprague Dawley rats were socially housed and underwent limited-access Meth self-administration (maximum 1 mg/kg/session). Meth-taking was either concurrent or non-concurrent with sexual behavior: concurrent animals were mated w

SUBMITTER: Kuiper LB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6333843 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature