Subthalamic nucleus mediates the modulation on cocaine self-administration induced by ultrasonic 3 vocalizations playback in rats

Abstract

1Drug intake is known to be under the influence of social context. We have recently shown that 2 presence of a peer influences drug intake in both rats and humans. Whether or not social acoustic 3 communications between the peers play a role during cocaine or sucrose self-administration (SA) 4 was investigated here, using playback of ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) at 50-and 22-kHz, 5 conveying respectively positive and negative internal affective states in adult rats. To assess the 6 neurobiological substrate of a potential USV influence on drug and food intake, we tested the 7 effects of subthalamic nucleus (STN) lesions, given its role in emotional and motivational 8 processes. In sham-control rats, playback of USV associated with positive affective states induced 9 long-term decreased cocaine consumption, while USV associated with negative affective states 10 induced short-term increase. Interestingly, no effect of USV playback was observed on sucrose 11 intake, whatever the frequency. STN lesions abolished the influence of USV on cocaine intake, 12 highlighting the influence of STN in emotional processes induced by USV emitted by a peer. These 13 results show how acoustic social communication is important to regulate drug intake in rats and 14 how STN modulation could interfere with addiction processes.15