Infusion of a D-1 receptor agonist into the nucleus accumbens enhances cocaine-induced behavioural sensitization

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Abstract
THE present study was designed to evaluate the effect of dopamine (DA) D-1 receptor activation in the nucleus accumbens (NAC) on the locomotor sensitizing effects of repeated intra-accumbens (intra-NAC) infusions of cocaine. Repeated infusion of cocaine (10 μg/0.5 μl daily for 2 days) resulted in an enhanced locomotor response to a subsequent intra-NAC and systemic (i.p.) challenging dose of the psychostimulant. Pretreatment with the selective D-1 agonist SK&F82958 (1.0 μg) markedly enhanced the sensitizing effects of both intra-NAC and systemic cocaine. The effect of SK&F82958 was completely blocked by systemic administration of the D-1 antagonist SCH23390 (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.). These data give further support to the idea that activation of D-1 receptors plays an important role in the induction of locomotor sensitization and show that the NAC may, in fact, be an anatomical locus of initiation of behavioural sensitization.