TY - JOUR
T1 - Post-retrieval propranolol treatment does not modulate reconsolidation or extinction of ethanol-induced conditioned place preference
AU - Font, Laura
AU - Cunningham, Christopher L.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Rick E. Bernardi, Peter A. Groblewski, K. Matthew Lattal and Raul Pastor for helpful discussions. We would like to thank Phoebe Smitasin for her help in conducting Experiment 3B. This research was supported by a grant to CLC from the United States NIH-NIAAA ( AA07702 ). L. Font was supported by a fellowship from Generalitat Valenciana, Conselleria de Educación (Best/2011/059) and from Conselleria de Sanidad (AP/150-10).
PY - 2012/4
Y1 - 2012/4
N2 - The reconsolidation hypothesis posits that established emotional memories, when reactivated, become labile and susceptible to disruption. Post-retrieval injection of propranolol (PRO), a nonspecific β-adrenergic receptor antagonist, impairs subsequent retention performance of a cocaine- and a morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP), implicating the noradrenergic system in the reconsolidation processes of drug-seeking behavior. An important question is whether post-retrieval PRO disrupts memory for the drug-cue associations, or instead interferes with extinction. In the present study, we evaluated the role of the β-adrenergic system on the reconsolidation and extinction of ethanol-induced CPP. Male DBA/2J mice were trained using a weak or a strong conditioning procedure, achieved by varying the ethanol conditioning dose (1 or 2 g/kg) and the number of ethanol trials (2 or 4). After acquisition of ethanol CPP, animals were given a single post-retrieval injection of PRO (0, 10 or 30 mg/kg) and tested for memory reconsolidation 24 h later. Also, after the first reconsolidation test, mice received 18 additional 15-min choice extinction tests in which PRO was injected immediately after every test. Contrary to the prediction of the reconsolidation hypothesis, a single PRO injection after the retrieval test did not modify subsequent memory retention. In addition, repeated post-retrieval administration of PRO did not interfere with extinction of CPP in mice. Overall, our data suggest that the β-adrenergic receptor does not modulate the associative processes underlying ethanol CPP.
AB - The reconsolidation hypothesis posits that established emotional memories, when reactivated, become labile and susceptible to disruption. Post-retrieval injection of propranolol (PRO), a nonspecific β-adrenergic receptor antagonist, impairs subsequent retention performance of a cocaine- and a morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP), implicating the noradrenergic system in the reconsolidation processes of drug-seeking behavior. An important question is whether post-retrieval PRO disrupts memory for the drug-cue associations, or instead interferes with extinction. In the present study, we evaluated the role of the β-adrenergic system on the reconsolidation and extinction of ethanol-induced CPP. Male DBA/2J mice were trained using a weak or a strong conditioning procedure, achieved by varying the ethanol conditioning dose (1 or 2 g/kg) and the number of ethanol trials (2 or 4). After acquisition of ethanol CPP, animals were given a single post-retrieval injection of PRO (0, 10 or 30 mg/kg) and tested for memory reconsolidation 24 h later. Also, after the first reconsolidation test, mice received 18 additional 15-min choice extinction tests in which PRO was injected immediately after every test. Contrary to the prediction of the reconsolidation hypothesis, a single PRO injection after the retrieval test did not modify subsequent memory retention. In addition, repeated post-retrieval administration of PRO did not interfere with extinction of CPP in mice. Overall, our data suggest that the β-adrenergic receptor does not modulate the associative processes underlying ethanol CPP.
KW - Alcohol
KW - Conditioned place preference
KW - Extinction
KW - Mice
KW - Propranolol
KW - Reconsolidation
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U2 - 10.1016/j.pbb.2012.01.009
DO - 10.1016/j.pbb.2012.01.009
M3 - Article
C2 - 22285323
AN - SCOPUS:84857554826
SN - 0091-3057
VL - 101
SP - 222
EP - 230
JO - Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior
JF - Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior
IS - 2
ER -