Journal of Alcoholism & Drug Dependence
Open Access
ISSN: 2329-6488
ISSN: 2329-6488
Sheree M. Johnson
College of Medicine,
Washington, DC 20059-0001
United States
Research Article
GABAergic Neurons as Putative Neurochemical Substrate Mediating Aversive Effects of Nicotine
Author(s): Ozra Dehkordi, Jed E. Rose, Richard M. Millis, Maryam Mehdipour Dalivand and Sheree M. JohnsonOzra Dehkordi, Jed E. Rose, Richard M. Millis, Maryam Mehdipour Dalivand and Sheree M. Johnson
Nicotine, the main addictive component of tobacco smoke, has both rewarding and aversive properties. Recent studies have suggested that GABAergic neurons, one of the main neurochemical components of the rewardaddiction circuitry, may also play a role in the aversive responses to nicotine. In the present study of transgenic mice expressing Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) in Glutamate Decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) neurons, we hypothesized that a subpopulation of GABAergic neurons in the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) are the targets of aversive doses of nicotine in the CNS. We tested this hypothesis using c-Fos immunohistochemical techniques to identify GAD67-GFP positive cells within the VTA, that are activated by a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of a low (40 ug/kg) or a high (2 mg/kg) dose of nicotine. We also assessed the anatomical location of GAD67-GFP positive cells with respect.. Read More»
DOI:
10.4172/2329-6488.1000312
