The presence of a social stimulus reduces cocaine-seeking in a place preference conditioning paradigm

Abstract

Background: One challenge in the treatment of substance use disorders is to re-engage the interest toward non-drug-related activities. Among these activities, social interaction has had a prominent role due to its positive influence on treatment outcome. Aims and methods: Our aim was to study whether the presence of a social stimulus during the cocaine-induced conditioned place preference test was able to reduce the time spent in the drug-paired compartment. For that purpose, mice were trained for four days on a conditioned place preference task with one compartment paired with cocaine and the opposite with saline. On the test day, we introduced an unfamiliar juvenile male mouse into the saline-conditioned compartment (inside a pencil cup) to analyse the animal preference towards the two rewarding stimuli (cocaine vs mouse). Additionally, to discard the possible effect of novelty, as well as the housing condition (social isolation) on social preference, we decided to include a novel object during the test session, as well as perform the same conditioned place preference protocol with a group of animals in social housing conditions. Results: The social stimulus was able to reduce the preference for cocaine and enhance the active interaction with the juvenile mouse (sniffing) compared to the empty pencil cup paired with the drug. The introduction of a novel object during the test session did not reduce the preference for the cocaine-paired compartment, and interestingly, the preference for the social stimulus was independent of the housing condition. c-Fos immunohistochemistry revealed a different pattern of activation based on cocaine-paired conditioning or the presence of social stimulus. Conclusions: These results suggest that social interaction could constitute a valuable component in the treatment of substance use disorders by reducing the salience of the drug.

Treadmill Exercise Buffers Behavioral Alterations Related to Ethanol Binge-Drinking in Adolescent Mice

“…On the other hand, based on the previous finding that access to another natural reward can reduce the preference for a drug [ 49 ], we observed that, although the time in both chambers (social and non-social) was similar, the EtOH group spent more time sniffing the grid enclosure containing the 20% alcohol bottle instead of the juvenile mouse ( Figure 3 j). Consistent with the existing literature, social dysfunction and social anxiety-like alterations have been often associated with ethanol intake in animal models and humans [ 50 , 51 ].…”

Social interaction reward in rats has anti‐stress effects

“…These findings suggest that social interaction and cocaine reward have similar conditioned reward value. Recently, it was found that the presence of social interaction during cocaine‐induced CPP test was able to reduce cocaine preference in mice 46 . These findings propose that when a social interactive stimulus is present as a choice to drugs, it is able to decrease the salience of drug‐associated contextual stimuli 46 .…”

“…46 These findings propose that when a social interactive stimulus is present as a choice to drugs, it is able to decrease the salience of drug-associated contextual stimuli. 46 We found that when social interaction was made available in an alternative context to cocaine, CRF-induced increases of cocaine preference were reversed completely to the level of rats receiving cocaine paired with icv injections of alphahelical CRF. This reversal of cocaine preference was also paralleled by a reversal in altered behavioural sequencing of grooming and in CRF-induced increase of p38 MAPK expression in the nucleus accumbens shell.…”

“…Recently, it was found that the presence of social interaction during cocaine‐induced CPP test was able to reduce cocaine preference in mice 46 . These findings propose that when a social interactive stimulus is present as a choice to drugs, it is able to decrease the salience of drug‐associated contextual stimuli 46 . We found that when social interaction was made available in an alternative context to cocaine, CRF‐induced increases of cocaine preference were reversed completely to the level of rats receiving cocaine paired with icv injections of alpha‐helical CRF.…”

Is It Possible to Shift from Down to Top Rank? A Focus on the Mesolimbic Dopaminergic System and Cocaine Abuse

“…In rodents, social interaction was found to be rewarding [ 23 ]. When available as an alternative to drugs, dyadic social interaction reduced cocaine preference [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ] ( Figure 1 ) and prevented cocaine-induced reinstatement of cocaine preference [ 24 ]. Interestingly, the dyadic social interaction episodes did not result in the development of an observable hierarchy or a dominance/subordination rank [ 29 , 30 ].…”