Titre du document / Document title

Lack of evidence of a role for the neurosteroid allopregnanolone in ethanol-induced reward and c-fos expression in DBA/2 mice

Auteur(s) / Author(s)

MURPHY Niall P. ⁽¹⁾ ; SAKOORI Kazuto ⁽¹⁾ ; OKABE Chinami ⁽¹⁾ ;

Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)

⁽¹⁾ Neuronal Circuit Mechanisms Research Group, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, 2-1, Hirosawa, Wakoshi Saitama 351-0198, JAPON

Résumé / Abstract

Previous studies using the 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride suggest that progesterone metabolites, particularly the endogenous neurosteroid allopregnanolone, mediate some of the effects of ethanol. Consequently, we studied the effect of finasteride (2 x 25 mg/kg s.c., 12 h apart) pretreatment on the acquisition and expression of ethanol (2 g/kg i.p.) induced conditioned place preference and c-fos expression in DBA/2 mice; a strain known to be particularly sensitive to ethanol. Ethanol administration induced a clear conditioned place preference and widespread c-fos expression, with elements of the extended amygdala, Edinger-Westphal nucleus and paraventricular nucleus being especially sensitive. However, despite an approximately 99% decrease in whole brain allopregnanolone content, finasteride pretreatment had remarkably little effect on either ethanol-induced conditioned place preference or ethanol-induced c-fos expression. Thus, aside from a general stimulatory effect on c-fos expression in the ventral tegmental area, and generally mild depression of locomotor activity, no other effects of finasteride or interaction with ethanol effects were identifiable. Together, these studies suggest that endogenous allopregnanolone plays little part in mediating acute ethanol-induced reward or neural activation in DBA/2 mice.

Revue / Journal Title

Brain research   ISSN 0006-8993   CODEN BRREAP 

Source / Source

2006, vol. 1094, pp. 107-118 [12 page(s) (article)] (1 p.3/4)

Langue / Language

Anglais

Editeur / Publisher

Elsevier, Amsterdam, PAYS-BAS  (1966) (Revue)

Mots-clés anglais / English Keywords

Vertebrata ; Mammalia ; Rodentia ; Sex steroid hormone ; Ovarian hormone ; Motricity ; Metabolite ; Progesterone ; Allopregnanolone ; Animal ; Mouse ; Locomotion ; Finasteride ; Gene expression ; fos Gene ; Protooncogene ; Immediate early gene ; Reward ; Ethanol ; Neurosteroid ;

Mots-clés français / French Keywords

Vertebrata ; Mammalia ; Rodentia ; Hormone stéroïde sexuelle ; Hormone ovarienne ; Motricité ; Métabolite ; Progestérone ; Allopregnanolone ; Animal ; Souris ; Locomotion ; Finastéride ; Expression génique ; Gène fos ; Protooncogène ; Gène immédiat précoce ; Récompense ; Ethanol ; Neurostéroïde ;

Mots-clés espagnols / Spanish Keywords

Vertebrata ; Mammalia ; Rodentia ; Hormona esteroide sexual ; Hormona ovárica ; Motricidad ; Metabolito ; Progesterona ; Animal ; Ratón ; Locomoción ; Finasterida ; Expresión genética ; Gen fos ; Protooncogen ; Gen inmediato precoz ; Recompensa ; Etanol ; Neurosteroido ;

Mots-clés d'auteur / Author Keywords

Ethanol ; Reward ; c-fos ; Neurosteroid ; Finasteride ; Locomotion ;

Localisation / Location

INIST-CNRS, Cote INIST : 12895, 35400013887741.0110