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Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5 In The Medial Prefrontal Cortex: Role In Cocaine Sensitization And Addiction, Kristin Marie Timmer
Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5 In The Medial Prefrontal Cortex: Role In Cocaine Sensitization And Addiction, Kristin Marie Timmer
Theses and Dissertations (ETD)
Cocaine sensitization is associated with cocaine-induced hyperexcitability of pyramidal projection neurons within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Such hyperexcitability presumably results in increased glutamatergic input to reward-affiliated brain regions such as the ventral tegemental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc), consequently facilitating drugseeking behavior. Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) has been implicated in cocaine addiction and demonstrated to increase neuronal excitability, therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of intra-mPFC mGluR5 manipulation on behavioral and neurochemical sensitization and drug-seeking. Bilateral cannulae were implanted into the mPFC of male Sprague-Dawley rats and mGluR5 antagonist MTEP (15 …