Enhancement of conditioned place preference response to cocaine in rats following subchronic administration of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)
Bryan Horan, Eliot L. Gardner, Charles R. Ashby
Synapse February 1, 2000 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-2396(200002)35:2<160::aid-syn9>3.0.co;2-o (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Male Sprague-Dawley rats |
| Interventions | MDMA Cocaine |
| Dose | 20 mg/kg MDMA twice daily for 4 days; 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg cocaine |
| Duration | 4-day MDMA administration, then 2-week delay before cocaine CPP testing |
| Topics | Addiction MDMA |
| Keywords | Conditioned place preference Pharmacology Methamphetamine Self-administration Drugs of abuse Locomotor activity Hallucinogen Anesthesia |
| Citations | 50 |
| Key findings | MDMA-treated animals showed a significantly greater conditioned place preference response to cocaine than vehicle-treated animals. |
Abstract
In this study, we measured conditioned place preference (CPP) responses to cocaine following subchronic administration of the recreationally abused drug (+/-)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals were given either vehicle (1 ml/kg of distilled water, s.c.) or MDMA (20 mg/kg, s.c.) twice a day for 4 consecutive days. Two weeks later, CPP responses to cocaine (5, 10, or 20 mg/kg, i.p.) were measured. The MDMA-treated animals showed a significantly greater CPP response to cocaine than the vehicle-treated animals. Since conditioned place preference is believed to be a measure of appetitive behavior, these results suggest that MDMA abuse could lead to an increased vulnerability to the rewarding actions of cocaine and, hence, to increased vulnerability to cocaine addiction and dependence.