Nucleus accumbens opioid, GABAergic, and dopaminergic modulation of palatable food motivation: Contrasting effects revealed by a progressive ratio study in the rat. |
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Authors: | Zhang Min; Balmadrid Christian; Kelley Ann E |
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Abstract: | The current studies were designed to evaluate whether incentive motivation for palatable food is altered after manipulations of opioid, GABAergic, and dopaminergic transmission within the nucleus accumbens. A progressive ratio schedule was used to measure lever-pressing for sugar pellets after microinfusion of drugs into the nucleus accumbens in non-food-deprived rats. The mu opioid agonist D-Ala2, NMe-Phe4, Glyol5-enkephalin and the indirect dopamine agonist amphetamine induced a marked increase in break point and correct lever-presses; the GABAA agonist muscimol did not affect break point or lever-presses. The data suggest that opioid, dopaminergic, and GABAergic systems within the accumbens differentially modulate food-seeking behavior through mechanisms related to hedonic evaluation of food, incentive salience, and control of motor feeding circuits, respectively. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
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Keywords: | nucleus accumbens incentive motivation palatable food opioid agonists GABA dopamine food-seeking behavior rat |
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