Changes in Dopamine Transporter and c-Fos Expression in the Nucleus Accumbens of Alcohol-Tolerant Rats

Abstract

The findings suggested that an abnormality of the dopaminergic neurons in the ACC that are involved with DAT dysfunction is associated with the development of alcohol tolerance.

Blockade of adenosine and dopamine receptors inhibits the development of rapid tolerance to ethanol in mice

“…Nor does it develop towards the reinforcing properties of ethanol that are mediated by the dopaminergic system (Rossetti et al 1993;Fadda and Rossetti 1998). More recently, Yoshimoto et al (2000) reported changes in dopamine transporter and c-Fos expression in the nucleus accumbens of alcohol-tolerant rats, suggesting that a hyper-excitability of dopaminergic neurons in this area may be associated with the development of alcohol tolerance.…”

Human dopamine transporter gene variation: effects of protein coding variants V55A and V382A on expression and uptake activities

“…4 This DAT polymorphic marker has been reproducibly associated with vulnerability to attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and variably linked with several other psychotic or movement disorders. [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] Psychostimulant DAT blockers such as methylphenidate are used to treat symptoms of ADHD and narcoleptic sleep disorders. 18,19 Understanding the nature of human variation at this DAT locus could thus be important for understanding mechanisms of individual difference in movement, disease vulnerability and individual differences in response to psychostimulants.…”

Differentially Expressed Genes in the Nucleus Accumbens from Chronically Ethanol-Administered Rat.

“…A number of studies indicated that the nucleus accumbens (NA) plays an important role in progression of chronic ethanol addiction. [6][7][8][9] The locus coeruleus (LC) also seems to be involved in this progression because long-term ethanol use can cause an increase in local cerebral glucose utilization in the LC as well as the NA 10) but its importance is especially recognized in morphine tolerance. 4,5) The experiments using alcohol-preferring rats 7) suggest that the serotonergic pathway from the dorsal raphe nucleus to the NA mediates the reinforcing actions of ethanol.…”

“…Among serotonin receptor subtypes, the serotonine 3 receptor is considered to be responsible for such actions. 8) The importance of dopaminergic projection in the striatoacumbal-*To whom correspondence should be addressed: Department of Hygiene, Kanazawa University School of Medicine, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan. Tel.…”

“…15) In the brain reward systems, subjecting rats to chronic ethanol exposure induces up-regulation of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor R1 subunit in the hippocampus, 16) and of dopamine 3 receptors in the limbic forebrain including the NA, 17) while it causes a reduction in dopamine transporters and an increase in cFos of dopaminergic neurons in the NA. 8) Identification of differentially expressed genes in a specific brain region may help not only to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms for development and reinforcement of ethanol addiction but also to clarify whether ethanol-dependent generegulation occurs. In the study presented here, differential display was used to isolate differentially expressed genes in chronically ethanol-administered NA for a comparison with control ones.…”