Event Title

Stress Makes a Mess Out of You: Exploring the Influence of Stress on Cocaine Preference and Other Related Behaviors in Male Sprague Dawley Rats

Location

Diamond 122

Start Date

1-5-2014 9:00 AM

End Date

1-5-2014 10:30 AM

Project Type

Presentation

Description

Exposure to stress early in development produces lasting behavioral and neural effects. Chronic stress is well known to impair spatial memory (Lemaire et al., 2000, Luine et al. 1993), increase anxiety (Bondi et al., 2008), and atrophy hippocampal cells (Watanabe et al., 1992). It is also widely accepted that stress is a potent stimulus for drug seeking and relapse (Piazza & Le Moal, 1998). Stress experienced during adolescence may especially increase vulnerability to developing a drug preference because of the plasticity of the brain during this period. Considering the prevalence of excessive drug use among adults and the cost of substance abuse in the United States, it is highly relevant to reveal factors that enhance susceptibility to adult drug seeking. The present study aimed to reveal that adolescent stress would 1) increase cocaine preference in adulthood and 2) interact with adult stress. To test this, 32 male Sprague Dawley rats arrived in the lab on postnatal day (PD) 22 and served as subjects for the present study. Half of the rats were exposed to chronic variable adolescent stress between PD32 to PD45, while the other half were non-stressed controls. The Conditioned Cue Preference (CCP) paradigm was used to assess cocaine preference: injections of cocaine (10mg/kg) or saline were paired with separate arms in a radial arm maze apparatus over a 6-day period. Preference was determined on a test day where rats had free access to both arms and a center area. Following this, all rats were exposed to adult swim stress. Immediately after the swim stress, anxiety in open field was assessed; 24 hours later, despair during a second swim stress was assessed. Analysis of these results are ongoing, as are plans to observe neuroplastic changes in the reward system.

Faculty Sponsor

Martha Arterberry

Sponsoring Department

Colby College. Psychology Dept.

CLAS Field of Study

Social Sciences

Event Website

http://www.colby.edu/clas

ID

586

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May 1st, 9:00 AM May 1st, 10:30 AM

Stress Makes a Mess Out of You: Exploring the Influence of Stress on Cocaine Preference and Other Related Behaviors in Male Sprague Dawley Rats

Diamond 122

Exposure to stress early in development produces lasting behavioral and neural effects. Chronic stress is well known to impair spatial memory (Lemaire et al., 2000, Luine et al. 1993), increase anxiety (Bondi et al., 2008), and atrophy hippocampal cells (Watanabe et al., 1992). It is also widely accepted that stress is a potent stimulus for drug seeking and relapse (Piazza & Le Moal, 1998). Stress experienced during adolescence may especially increase vulnerability to developing a drug preference because of the plasticity of the brain during this period. Considering the prevalence of excessive drug use among adults and the cost of substance abuse in the United States, it is highly relevant to reveal factors that enhance susceptibility to adult drug seeking. The present study aimed to reveal that adolescent stress would 1) increase cocaine preference in adulthood and 2) interact with adult stress. To test this, 32 male Sprague Dawley rats arrived in the lab on postnatal day (PD) 22 and served as subjects for the present study. Half of the rats were exposed to chronic variable adolescent stress between PD32 to PD45, while the other half were non-stressed controls. The Conditioned Cue Preference (CCP) paradigm was used to assess cocaine preference: injections of cocaine (10mg/kg) or saline were paired with separate arms in a radial arm maze apparatus over a 6-day period. Preference was determined on a test day where rats had free access to both arms and a center area. Following this, all rats were exposed to adult swim stress. Immediately after the swim stress, anxiety in open field was assessed; 24 hours later, despair during a second swim stress was assessed. Analysis of these results are ongoing, as are plans to observe neuroplastic changes in the reward system.

https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/clas/2014/program/80