| Abstract: | Methamphetamine (Meth) is a highly addictive stimulant. Meth abuse is commonly associated with the practice of sexual risk behavior and increased prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Meth users report heightened sexual desire, arousal, and sexual pleasure. The biological basis for this drug-sex nexus is unknown. The current study demonstrates that Meth administration in male rats activates neurons in brain regions of the mesolimbic system that are involved in the regulation of sexual behavior. Specifically, Meth and mating co-activate cells in the nucleus accumbens core and shell, basolateral amygdala, and anterior cingulate cortex. These findings illustrate that in contrast to current belief drugs of abuse can activate the same cells as a natural reinforcer, that is sexual behavior, and in turn may influence compulsive seeking of this natural reward.
PUBMED: 20045448
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| Ontological Annotations: |
- D009714: Nucleus Accumbens (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D017207: Rats, Sprague-Dawley (PubMed MeSH Annotations)
- MA:0000887: amygdala (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D001927: Brain Diseases (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D006801: Humans (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D057181: Pleasure (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D015415: Biological Markers (PubMed MeSH Annotations)
- D017579: Domestic Violence (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D000697: Central Nervous System Stimulants (PubMed MeSH Annotations)
- D000818: Animals (PubMed MeSH Annotations)
- MA:0000904: cingulate cortex (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D012201: Reward (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D015995: Prevalence (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D014780: Viruses (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D000163: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D004364: Pharmaceutical Preparations (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D001143: Arousal (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D008694: Methamphetamine (PubMed MeSH Annotations; Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D001519: Behavior (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D002477: Cells (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- MA:0000168: brain (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D012926: Social Control, Formal (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D014851: Wakefulness (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D011214: Practice (Psychology) (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D006678: HIV (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D016760: Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos (PubMed MeSH Annotations)
- D003913: Dextroamphetamine (PubMed MeSH Annotations)
- D019966: Substance-Related Disorders (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D014930: Women (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D012726: Sexual Behavior, Animal (PubMed MeSH Annotations)
- D008032: Limbic System (PubMed MeSH Annotations)
- D004552: Elder Abuse (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D000303: Adrenal Cortex Diseases (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D013287: Street Drugs (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D012309: Risk-Taking (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D051381: Rats (PubMed MeSH Annotations; Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D010766: Phosphorylation (PubMed MeSH Annotations)
- D009474: Neurons (Publication, NCBO Annotator; PubMed MeSH Annotations)
- D003469: Culture (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D009934: Organization and Administration (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D012306: Risk (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D000679: Amygdala (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D010900: Pituitary Diseases (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D017629: Gap Junctions (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D048049: Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases (PubMed MeSH Annotations)
- MA:0000892: accumbens nucleus (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D001921: Brain (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D002467: Cell Nucleus (PubMed MeSH Annotations; Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D007153: Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
- D012725: Sexual Behavior (Publication, NCBO Annotator)
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