Exposure to amphetamine in rats during periadolescence establishes behavioural and extrastriatal neural sensitization in adulthood

Drug abuse during adolescence may predispose towards later adult substance abuse and major depressive disorders (Brook et al., 2002). The purpose of the present study was to characterize whether behavioural sensitization to amphetamine occurred in adult rats following adolescent exposure to amphetamine [low (2 mg/kg. d) or high (10 mg/kg. d) i.p. for 10 d] and the pattern of neural activation associated with sensitized behaviour, in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Following initial treatment (post-natal days 33-41) and a subsequent 4-wk period of abstinence, rats initially treated with either amphetamine regime showed a similar sensitized locomotor activity upon re-challenge with amphetamine (1.5 mg/kg i.p.) compared to rats acutely challenged with this dose of amphetamine. Fos-IR expression in the 'high' sensitized group was significantly greater than acutely challenged rats in all quadrants of the CPu. Both 'low' and 'high' sensitized groups demonstrated heightened Fos expression relative to acutely challenged rats in the medial and central amygdala, as well as rostroventrolateral medulla, whereas Fos-IR in the locus coeruleus and substantia nigra pars reticulata was significantly increased only in the 'high' sensitized group compared to acute. Double-labelling for tyrosine hydroxylase confirmed an absence of Fos-IR in A9 and A10 regions. The present study has shown a robust and persistent sensitization in adulthood to amphetamine re-challenge following initial adolescent exposure in rats. This manifestation of sensitization apparently results in widespread neural activation in limbic and autonomic structures.