Inhibition of PKMζ in the nucleus accumbens core blocks the expression of locomotor sensitization induced by amphetamine.

Min Ji Song, Ju Kyong Jang, Wha Young Kim, Hyung Shin Yoon, Jeong-Hoon Kim

Department of Physiology, Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Brain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752, South Korea.

Behavioural brain research 2013 Mar 15

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Behavioral sensitization is a form of drug-induced, long-lasting, non-associative memory. Protein kinase M zeta (PKMζ) has been shown to play a role in maintaining associative long-term memory in various brain regions. In the present study, rats were pre-exposed to either saline or amphetamine (AMPH) (1 mg/kg, i.p.). After 1 week of drug-free withdrawal period, they were challenged with AMPH (1 mg/kg, i.p.) following a bilateral microinjection of either saline or zeta inhibitory peptide (ZIP) (5 nmole/side) into the NAcc core. In the AMPH pre-exposed group, the ZIP microinjection blocked the enhanced increase of locomotion by AMPH challenge. These results suggest that PKMζ in the NAcc core plays a role in the expression of AMPH-induced locomotor sensitization, and further extend the role of PKMζ in long-term memory to non-associative form of drug-related memory. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Citation

Min Ji Song, Ju Kyong Jang, Wha Young Kim, Hyung Shin Yoon, Jeong-Hoon Kim. Inhibition of PKMζ in the nucleus accumbens core blocks the expression of locomotor sensitization induced by amphetamine. Behavioural brain research. 2013 Mar 15;241:139-43