Prepulse inhibition can predict the motivational effects of cocaine in female mice exposed to maternal separation.

The prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle response can identify the rodents that are more sensitive to the effects of cocaine. Mice with a lower PPI presented a higher vulnerability to the effects of cocaine and a higher susceptibility to developing a substance use disorder (SUD). Maternal separation with early weaning (MSEW) is a relevant animal model to induce motivational alterations throughout life.

The negative allosteric modulator of mGluR5, MPEP, potentiates the rewarding properties of cocaine in priming-induced reinstatement of CPP.

Cocaine addiction is a chronic disorder with high relapse rates; therefore, understanding the neuronal mechanisms underlying drug-seeking during relapse is a priority to develop targeted pharmacotherapy. The metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) seems to be involved in the reinstatement induced by cocaine-associated cues. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of MPEP, a negative allosteric modulator of mGluR5, in attenuating or potentiating the reinstatement induced by priming doses of cocaine in the CPP paradigm, ultimately to further knowledge regarding the role of the mGluR5 in relapse into cocaine abuse.

Baseline prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex predicts the sensitivity to the conditioned rewarding effects of cocaine in male and female mice.

Rationale: Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle reflex is a model of pre-attentional inhibitory function. The dopamine baseline in the nucleus accumbens plays a key role in PPI regulation as well as in the rewarding effects of cocaine.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive ability of PPI to identify the more vulnerable mice of both sexes to the conditioned rewarding effects of cocaine.

Topiramate increases the rewarding properties of cocaine in young-adult mice limiting its clinical usefulness.

Rationale: Topiramate is an anticonvulsant drug which has been evaluated as a therapeutic option for the treatment of cocaine addiction during the last decade.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of topiramate on the reinforcing actions of cocaine. To this aim, the topiramate-mediated regulation of acquisition and extinction phases of the cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) was assessed in young-adult mice using three experimental designs.

Influence of trait anxiety on the effects of acute stress on learning and retention of the passive avoidance task in male and female mice.

The influence of anxiety on the effects of acute stress for the acquisition and retention of passive avoidance conditioned task was evaluated in male and female mice. Animals were categorized as high-, medium-, and low-anxiety according to their performance in the elevated plus-maze test. Subsequently, half of the mice in each group were exposed to an acute stressor and assayed in an aversive conditioning test two days later.