Time-dependent dissociation of cocaine dose-response effects on sucrose craving and locomotion

In the present study, rats self-administered sucrose 6 h/day for 10 days. Separate groups of rats were then tested on day 1 or day 30 of forced abstinence. After they had responded to near extinction, rats were injected with either saline or cocaine (2.5, 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg intraperitoneal) and then allowed to respond to a sucrose-paired stimulus. Locomotor activity was assessed during testing. Rats pressed more during the extinction responding phase of testing on day 30 than on day 1 of forced abstinence, and this incubation of craving was accompanied by a time-dependent increase in locomotor activity. Compared with saline, cocaine increased responding for the sucrose-paired cue on day 1 of forced abstinence at the 5 mg/kg dose only. In contrast, responding on day 30 was increased at the 10 and 20 mg/kg doses. Locomotor activity increased dose-dependently at both forced-abstinence time points, suggesting a dissociation between cocaine-induced locomotion and cocaine-elevated responding for a sucrose-paired stimulus. These results also indicate that there are time-dependent changes in how cocaine affects sucrose craving.