Effects of withdrawal from chronic amphetamine intoxication on exploratory and stereotyped behaviors in the rat

Abstract

Rats were administered 3, 6, and 12 mg/kg of d-amphetamine s.c. twice daily on a weekly increasing staircase schedule. On days 1, 7, 14, and 28 after the last injection of amphetamine the animals were challenged with 1 and 3 mg/kg of d-amphetamine and their behavior was observed. The 7-, 14-, and 28-day withdrawn animals required less amphetamine than controls to induce stereotyped behaviors. However, it was found that withdrawn animals and control animals were equally sensitive to the effects of apomorphine. Reserpine pretreatment eliminated the differences between control and withdrawn animals. alpha-Methyl tyrosine pretreatment blocked the effects of 1 but not 3 mg/kg of d-amphetamine in the withdrawn animals. Possible chemical mechanisms underlying the change in amphetamine sensitivity in the withdrawn animals are discussed.

Discrete-trials heroin self-administration produces sensitization to the reinforcing effects of cocaine in rats

“…The previous studies revealed the importance of a deprivation period in order to measure increases in reinforcing efficacy of cocaine following cocaine selfadministration. This finding by Morgan and colleagues is consistent with several reports indicating the importance of an "incubation" period in psychostimulant sensitization (Hitzemann et al 1977;Paulson et al 1991;Paulson and Robinson 1995;Vanderschuren et al 1997;Grimm et al 2001Grimm et al , 2003Di Ciano and Everitt 2002). In the present study, however, we report that no deprivation period is necessary to produce cross-sensitization by opioids to the reinforcing effects of cocaine.…”

Locomotor sensitization to quinpirole in rats: effects of drug abstinence and sex

“…In some studies, a period of drug abstinence enhanced the chronic drug response to indirect dopamine agonists (e.g., Hitzemann et al 1977;Post 1980;Kolta et al 1985;Robinson and Becker 1986;Antelman 1988;Paulson et al 1991;Paulson and Robinson 1995). However, in the present study drug abstinence did not enhance the sensitized locomotor response to QNP as evidenced by similar dose-response profiles 3 and 15 days post-chronic QNP treatment.…”

“…>7 days), but not shorter (i.e. <7 days) periods of drug abstinence (Hitzemann et al 1977;Kolta et al 1985;Antelman and Caggiula 1991;Paulson et al 1991;Paulson and Robinson 1995;Szumlinski et al 1999aSzumlinski et al , 1999b.…”

Effects of extended-access self-administration and deprivation on breakpoints maintained by cocaine in rats

“…The locomotor sensitization literature has consistently reported that a drug-free period enhances the degree of sensitization observed (Hitzemann et al 1977;Paulson et al 1991;Paulson and Robinson 1995). There is an emerging literature describing changes in extinction and/or reinstatement responding that vary as a function of withdrawal duration (Grimm et al 2001(Grimm et al , 2003Di Ciano and Everitt 2002).…”