Adrenalectomy prevents behavioural sensitisation of mice to cocaine in a genotype-dependent manner.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the contribution of adrenal stress hormones to strain differences in cocaine sensitivity. For this purpose, we have studied sensitisation to the locomotor stimulant effect of cocaine and, in parallel, cocaine-induced corticosterone secretion in two inbred mouse strains: C57BL/6 and DBA/2. Adrenalectomy ('ADX': surgical removal of the adrenal glands) was performed in a subset of animals to investigate the contribution of the adrenals.

Glucocorticoids and vulnerability to psychostimulant drugs: toward substrate and mechanism.

Glucocorticoid hormones can modulate the propensity of individuals to develop addictive behavior and, by doing so, contribute to the existence of individual differences in vulnerability to drugs. This article summarizes recent findings that increase our knowledge about drug-induced neuronal adaptations in the brain reward system and the role glucocorticoids may play in this process. Evidence exists that drugs and stress can induce similar changes in excitatory synaptic strength within the mesolimbic dopamine system, suggesting a coordinate mechanism for drugs of abuse and glucocorticoids.