Abstract
Regional brain activation was assessed by mapping of Fos-related protein expression in rats trained to self-administration of intravenous nicotine and cocaine. Both drugs produced specific overlapping patterns of activation in the shell and the core of the nucleus accumbens, medial prefrontal cortex, and medial caudate areas, but not in the amygdala. Thus, the reinforcing properties of cocaine and nicotine map on selected structures of the terminal fields of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system, supporting the idea that common substrates for these addictive drugs exist.
MeSH terms
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Amygdala / drug effects
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Amygdala / metabolism
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Animals
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Brain / drug effects*
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Brain / metabolism
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Brain Mapping
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Cocaine / administration & dosage
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Cocaine / pharmacology*
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DNA / metabolism
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Neostriatum / drug effects
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Neostriatum / metabolism
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Neurons / drug effects
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Neurons / metabolism
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Nicotine / administration & dosage
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Nicotine / pharmacology*
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Nucleus Accumbens / drug effects
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Nucleus Accumbens / metabolism
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Opioid-Related Disorders / etiology*
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Prefrontal Cortex / drug effects
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Prefrontal Cortex / metabolism
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / biosynthesis
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Rats
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Reinforcement, Psychology
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Self Administration
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Substance-Related Disorders / etiology*
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Transcription Factor AP-1 / metabolism
Substances
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos
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Transcription Factor AP-1
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Nicotine
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DNA
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Cocaine