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Ultrasonic vocalization in rats self-administering heroin and cocaine in different settings: evidence of substance-specific interactions between drug and setting

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posted on 2023-06-09, 00:19 authored by Riccardo Avvisati, Laura Contu, Emiliana Stendardo, Caterina Michetti, Christian Montanari, Maria Scattoni, Aldo Badiani
Rationale Clinical and preclinical evidence indicates that the setting of drug use affects drug reward in a substance-specific manner. Heroin and cocaine co-abusers, for example, indicated distinct settings for the two drugs: heroin being used preferentially at home and cocaine preferentially outside the home. Similar results were obtained in rats that were given the opportunity to self-administer intravenously both heroin and cocaine. Objectives The goal of the present study was to investigate the possibility that the positive affective state induced by cocaine is enhanced when the drug is taken at home relative to a non-home environment, and vice versa for heroin. Methods To test this hypothesis, we trained male rats to self-administer both heroin and cocaine on alternate days and simultaneously recorded the emission of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), as it has been reported that rats emit 50-kHz USVs when exposed to rewarding stimuli, suggesting that these USVs reflect positive affective states. Results We found that Non-Resident rats emitted more 50-kHz USVs when they self-administered cocaine than when self-administered heroin whereas Resident rats emitted more 50-kHz USVs when self-administering heroin than when self-administering cocaine. Differences in USVs in Non-Resident rats were more pronounced during the first self-administration (SA) session, when the SA chambers were completely novel to them. In contrast, the differences in USVs in Resident rats were more pronounced during the last SA sessions. Conclusion These findings indicate that the setting of drug taking exerts a substance-specific influence on the ability of drugs to induce positive affective states.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

Psychopharmacology

ISSN

0033-3158

Publisher

Springer

Issue

8

Volume

233

Page range

1501-1511

Department affiliated with

  • Psychology Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2016-03-11

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2017-03-11

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2016-03-11

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