Acquisition and reinstatement of MDMA-induced conditioned place preference in mice pre-treated with MDMA or cocaine during adolescence

Authors: Daza-Losada, Manuel; Rodríguez-Arias, Marta; Aguilar, María A.; Miñarro, José

Source: Addiction Biology, Volume 14, Number 4, October 2009 , pp. 447-456(10)

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Abstract:

Those who take ecstasy are more likely to consume other drugs than non-users with cocaine abuse being reported by 75.5% of high school student MDMA (± 3,4-methylenedioxymetamphetamine hydrochloride) users. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of exposure during adolescence to MDMA, cocaine or to both drugs on the MDMA-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in adult mice. Animals received two daily administrations of saline, 10 mg/kg of MDMA, 25 mg/kg of cocaine or 10 mg/kg of MDMA plus 25 mg/kg of cocaine over 3 days (from PD28 to 30). Three weeks after pre-treatment, the MDMA-induced CPP procedure was initiated (PD52). Acquisition of CPP was induced with a sub-threshold dose of MDMA (1.25 mg/kg) only in animals treated during adolescence with MDMA alone. Preference was established in all the groups after conditioning with 10 mg/kg of MDMA, while the time required to achieve extinction was longer in those pre-treated with cocaine or MDMA alone (46 and 28 sessions, respectively). Moreover, preference was reinstated with progressively lower priming doses of MDMA in mice pre-treated with MDMA or cocaine alone. These results demonstrate that early exposure to MDMA or cocaine induces long-lasting changes that last until adulthood and modify the response of animals to MDMA.

Keywords: Adolescence; cocaine; CPP; MDMA; mice; reinstatement

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1369-1600.2009.00173.x

Publication date: 2009-10-01