Noradrenaline in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis is critical for stress-induced reactivation of morphine-conditioned place preference in rats

The effect of noradrenaline in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and locus coeruleus on maintenance and reactivation of morphine-conditioned place preference induced by footshock stress was investigated in rats. After receiving alternate injection of morphine (10 mg/kg) and saline for 6 consecutive days, the rats spent more time in the drug-paired compartment (morphine-conditioned place preference) on day 7. These animals did not show morphine-conditioned place preference on day 37 following sham-footshock once every 3 days from days 8 to 36 (28 days drug-free). However, 15 min of intermittent footshock once every 3 days could induce the maintenance of morphine-conditioned place preference on day 37 with significantly more time spent in the drug-paired compartment than on day 0. Microinjection of the alpha (2)-adrenoceptor agonist, clonidine (0.1 or 1 mug), into the locus coeruleus 30 min before footshock did not affect stress-induced maintenance of conditioned place preference. However, infusions of clonidine (I mug) into the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis significantly attenuated the maintenance of conditioned place preference induced by footshock stress. In another experiment, after a 21-day extinction of morphine-conditioned place preference, a single footshock could reactivate the morphine place preference that was significantly blocked by pretreatment with infusion of clonidine (0.1 or 1 mug) into the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis but not the locus coeruleus. Reactivation of morphine-conditioned place preference elicited by footshock stress was significantly inhibited by 6-hydroxydopamine-induced lesions in the ventral noradrenergic bundle, most of the norepinephrine input to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis arising from caudal brain stem noradrenergic cell groups. In contrast, chemical lesions of the dorsal noradrenergic bundle that arises from the locus coeruleus had no such effects. These findings suggest that noradrenergic neurons in locus coeruleus are not involved in stress-induced reinstatement of drug-seeking and further clearly demonstrate that noradrenaline in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis plays a critical role in mediating this effect. Comprehension of the neurochemical events underlying the stress-induced and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis-mediated reinstatement of drug-seeking may, therefore, throw more light on the biological bases of drug dependence and addictive behavior. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.