Chunk #20 — Results — Widespread effects of cocaine and withdrawal on catecholaminergic, GABAergic, cholinergic, glutamatergic, and endocannabinoid pathways
Dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin receptors expressed in the NAc play a critical role in addiction. Transcripts encoding the dopamine receptors, Drd1a, Drd2, Drd3, and Drd5, exhibited different patterns of response to cocaine and withdrawal (Figure 4). Drd1a was known to decrease in response to cocaine treatment, while Drd2 was known to increase (Hoffmann et al., 2012). Adra1a, Adra2a and Adrb1 adrenergic receptor expression rose in response to cocaine treatment, while expression of Adra1b, Adra2b, and Adra2c fell. Six of the twelve serotonin receptors (Htr1b, Htr2a, Htr2c, Htr4, Htr5a, Htr6) exhibited increased expression in response to cocaine and/or withdrawal. The long-term changes during withdrawal were verified by qPCR for Drd1a, Drd2, Adra1a, Adra2b, Htr1d, Htr2a, Htr2c, and Ppp1r1b (DARPP32).
