The AT1 angiotensin II receptor blockade attenuates the development of amphetamine-induced behavioral sensitization in a two-injection protocol.

It has been shown that a single exposure to amphetamine is sufficient to induce long-term behavioral, neurochemical, and neuroendocrine sensitization in rats. Dopaminergic neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens and the caudate-putamen plays a critical role in the addictive properties of drugs of abuse. Angiotensin (Ang) II receptors are found on the soma and terminals of mesolimbic dopaminergic neurons and it has been shown that Ang II acting through its AT1 receptors facilitates dopamine release. The hypothesis was tested that Ang II AT1 receptors are involved in the neuroadaptative changes induced by a single exposure to amphetamine and that such changes are related to the development of behavioral and neurochemical sensitization. For this purpose, the study examined the expression of amphetamine-enhanced (0.5 mg kg⁻¹ i.p.) locomotor activity in animals pretreated with candesartan, an AT1 blocker, (3 mg kg⁻¹ p.o. x 5 days), 3 weeks after an amphetamine injection (5 mg kg⁻¹ i.p.). Dopaminergic hyperreactivity was tested by measuring the 3H-DA release in vitro from caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens slices, induced by K+ stimulus. It was confirmed the behavioral sensitization in the two-injection protocol and candesartan pretreatment attenuate this response. It was also found that AT1 blockade pretreatment did not affect the locomotor response to dopamine agonists. In respect to the neurochemical sensitization tested using ex vivo 3H-DA release experiments it was found that AT1 receptor pretreatment blunted the enhanced response induced by K+ stimulus. The results support the idea that the development of neuroadaptive changes induced by amphetamine involves brain AT1 Ang II receptor activation.

A dopamine mechanism is implied in the acquisition and expression of amphetamine and stress-induced effects observed in the lymphocyte subpopulations.

Drugs of abuse and stress are associated with changes in circulating cell populations and reductions in cell-mediated immune responses. The main goal of this study was to determine the influence of repeated and acute d-amphetamine treatments on the foot-shock stress-induced effects on the peripheral lymphocyte subpopulations, and the involvement of a dopamine mechanism in the development and expression of this phenomenon. Wistar rats received an acute (5 mg/kg/day i.p.) or a repeated (2 mg/kg/day i.p. during 9 days) amphetamine treatment, and were exposed to a foot-shock stress (1 mA, 3 s) 4 days after the last amphetamine injection. Another group was administered with haloperidol (1 mg/kg/day i.p.) 15 min previous to each daily amphetamine injection or previous to the foot-shock stress session. Then, blood cells stained with monoclonal antibodies against CD3-FITC, CD8-PE and CD4-Cy-Chrome, and against CD161a-FITC, CD3-PE, and CD45RA-Cy-Crhome, were analyzed by multiparameter flow cytometry. The exposure to a foot-shock stress induced a decrease in the absolute number of peripheral lymphocytes, as well as in CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells and B-cells in acute and repeatedly amphetamine-treated rats, whereas the NK-cell population remained unchanged. Haloperidol administration previous to each drug administration or the foot-shock stress session reversed these effects. This study provides strong evidence that dopamine can play a more general role in the influence of amphetamine on the stress-induced effects on the lymphocyte subsets.

Involvement of the brain renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the neuroadaptive responses induced by amphetamine in a two-injection protocol.

A single or repeated exposure to psychostimulants induces long-lasting neuroadaptative changes. Different neurotransmitter systems are involved in these responses including the neuropeptide angiotensin II. Our study tested the hypothesis that the neuroadaptative changes induced by amphetamine produce alterations in brain RAS components that are involved in the expression of the locomotor sensitization to the psychostimulant drug. Wistar male rats, pretreated with amphetamine were used 7 or 21 days later to study AT1 receptors by immunohistochemistry and western blot and also angiotensinogen mRNA and protein in caudate putamen and nucleus accumbens. A second group of animals was used to explore the possible role of Ang II AT1 receptors in the expression of behavioral sensitization. In these animals treated in the same way, bearing intra-cerebral cannula, the locomotor activity was tested 21 days later, after an amphetamine challenge injection and the animals received an AT1 blocker, losartan, or saline 5min before the amphetamine challenge. An increase of AT1 receptor density induced by amphetamine was found in both studied areas and a decrease in angiotensinogen mRNA and protein only in CPu at 21 days after treatment; meanwhile, no changes were established in NAcc. Finally, the increased locomotor activity induced by amphetamine challenge was blunted by losartan administration in CPu. No differences were detected in the behavioral sensitization when the AT1 blocker was injected in NAcc. Our results support the hypothesis of a key role of brain RAS in the neuroadaptative changes induced by amphetamine.

Angiotensin II AT1 receptors are involved in neuronal activation induced by amphetamine in a two-injection protocol.

It was already found that Ang II AT1 receptors are involved in the neuroadaptative changes induced by a single exposure to amphetamine, and such changes are related to the development of behavioral and neurochemical sensitization. The induction of the immediately early gene c-fos has been used to define brain activated areas by amphetamine. Our aim was to evaluate the participation of AT1 receptors in the neuronal activation induced by amphetamine sensitization. The study examined the c-fos expression in mesocorticolimbic areas induced by amphetamine challenge (0.5 mg/kg i.p) in animals pretreated with candesartan, a selective AT1 receptor blocker (3 mg/kg p.o × 5 days), and amphetamine (5 mg/kg i.p) 3 weeks before the challenge. Increased c-fos immunoreactivity was found in response to the amphetamine challenge in the dorsomedial caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens, and both responses were blunted by the AT1 receptor blocker pretreatment. In the infralimbic prefrontal cortex, increased c-fos immunoreactivity was found in response to amphetamine and saline challenge, and both were prevented by the AT1 receptor blocker. No differences were found neither in ventral tegmental area nor prelimbic cortex between groups. Our results indicate an important role for brain Ang II in the behavioral and neuronal sensitization induced by amphetamine.