c-Fos expression associated with reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior by response-contingent conditioned cues.

The capability of cocaine cues to generate craving in cocaine-dependent humans, even after extended abstinence, is modeled in rats using cue reinstatement of extinguished cocaine-seeking behavior. We investigated neural activity associated with incentive motivational effects of cocaine cues using c-fos mRNA and Fos protein expression as markers. Unlike preceding studies, we used response-contingent presentation of discrete cues to elicit cocaine seeking.

Region-specific involvement of AMPA/Kainate receptors in Fos protein expression induced by cocaine-conditioned cues.

This study investigated the effects of the AMPA/Kainate receptor antagonist, NBQX, on cue-elicited cocaine-seeking behavior and concomitant changes in Fos protein expression. After cocaine self-administration training, rats underwent 24 days of abstinence during which they were exposed daily either to the self-administration environment with response-contingent cues previously paired with cocaine infusions available (Extinction group) or to an alternate environment (No Extinction group). Subsequently, rats were tested for cocaine-seeking behavior (i.