Blockade of nucleus accumbens 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors prevents the expression of cocaine-induced behavioral and neurochemical sensitization in rats

The serotonin 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors regulate the capacity of acute cocaine to augment behavior and monoamine levels within the nucleus accumbens (NAC), a brain region involved in cocaine's addictive and psychotogenic properties. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that NAC 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptor activation is involved in the expression of cocaine-induced neuroplasticity following protracted withdrawal from a sensitizing repeated cocaine regimen (days 1 and 7, 15 mg/kg; days 2-6, 30 mg/kg, i.p.). The effects of intra-NAC infusions of the 5-HT2A antagonist R-(+)-alpha-(2,3-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-[2-(4-fluorophenylethyl)]-4-piperidine methanol (MDL 100907; 0, 50, 100, 500 nM) or the 5-HT2C antagonist [6-chloro-5-methyl-1-(6-(2-methylpiridin-3-yloxy)pyridine-3-yl carbamoyl] inodoline dihydrochloride (SB 242084; 0, 50, 100, 500 nM) were first assessed upon the expression of locomotor activity elicited by a 15-mg/kg cocaine challenge injection administered at 3-week withdrawal. A follow-up in vivo microdialysis experiment then compared the effects of the local perfusion of 0, 50, or 100 nM of each antagonist upon cocaine-induced dopamine and glutamate sensitization in the NAC. Although neither MDL 100907 nor SB 242084 altered acute cocaine-induced locomotion, SB 242084 reduced acute cocaine-elevated NAC dopamine and glutamate levels. Intra-NAC perfusion with either compound blocked the expression of cocaine-induced locomotor and glutamate sensitization, but only MDL 100907 pretreatment prevented the expression of cocaine-induced dopamine sensitization. These data provide the first evidence that NAC 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors are critical for the expression of cocaine-induced neuroplasticity following protracted withdrawal, which has relevance for their therapeutic utility in the treatment of addiction.