Neuroscience 2003 Abstract
| Presentation Number: | 643.1 |
|---|---|
| Abstract Title: | MDMA (Ecstasy) serves as a robust reinforcer in a rat runway procedure. |
| Authors: |
Saria, A.*1
; Wakonigg, G.1
; Sturm, K.1
; Zernig, G.1
1Dept. Psychiat, Div. Neurochem, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria |
| Primary Theme and Topics |
Neurological and Psychiatric Conditions - Addiction and Drugs of Abuse -- Amphetamines |
| Session: |
643. Addiction and Drugs of Abuse: Amphetamines IV Poster |
| Presentation Time: | Tuesday, November 11, 2003 8:00 AM-9:00 AM |
| Location: | Morial Convention Center - Hall F-I, Board # VV29 |
| Keywords: | ADDICTION, REWARD |
Although 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘Ecstasy‘) is, after marijuana, the second most prevalent illegal drug of abuse in European adolescents, animal experimental evidence of MDMA’s reinforcing effect has remained scarce, particularly in the rodent model, raising questions about the robustness of MDMA’s reinforcing effect under controlled laboratory conditions.
In the present rat runway study, male Sprague-Dawley rats were given the opportunity to run for intravenous injections of saline, MDMA, or morphine. Compared to saline (runtime, 50 ± 4 s; N=20), MDMA significantly decreased runtimes to 29 ± 8 s at 0.32 mg/kg MDMA (ANOVA, p<0.001; LSD, p=0.02; N=9) and to 27 ± 9 s at 1 mg/kg MDMA (ANOVA, p<0.001; LSD, p=0.003; N=10), while 0.32 mg/kg morphine (N=10) decreased runtime to 11 ± 6 s (ANOVA, p<0.001; LSD, p<0.001). Thus, MDMA’s reinforcing effect can be demonstrated not only across rat strains, i.e. Sprague-Dawley rats vs. Long Evans rats, but also across operant conditioning paradigms, i.e. lever-press-based operant procedures vs. the runway procedure. These findings should reassure the drug abuse research community that the investigation of MDMA’s reinforcing effect in the inexpensive and widely used rodent model is indeed feasible.
In the present rat runway study, male Sprague-Dawley rats were given the opportunity to run for intravenous injections of saline, MDMA, or morphine. Compared to saline (runtime, 50 ± 4 s; N=20), MDMA significantly decreased runtimes to 29 ± 8 s at 0.32 mg/kg MDMA (ANOVA, p<0.001; LSD, p=0.02; N=9) and to 27 ± 9 s at 1 mg/kg MDMA (ANOVA, p<0.001; LSD, p=0.003; N=10), while 0.32 mg/kg morphine (N=10) decreased runtime to 11 ± 6 s (ANOVA, p<0.001; LSD, p<0.001). Thus, MDMA’s reinforcing effect can be demonstrated not only across rat strains, i.e. Sprague-Dawley rats vs. Long Evans rats, but also across operant conditioning paradigms, i.e. lever-press-based operant procedures vs. the runway procedure. These findings should reassure the drug abuse research community that the investigation of MDMA’s reinforcing effect in the inexpensive and widely used rodent model is indeed feasible.
Supported by Austrian Federal Ministry of Science (research contract GZ 70.071/2-Pr/4/2000) and the Austrian Science Fund (SFB 00206)
Sample Citation:
[Authors]. [Abstract Title]. Program No. XXX.XX. 2003 Neuroscience Meeting Planner. New Orleans, LA: Society for Neuroscience, 2003. Online.
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