RGD Reference Report - Changes in rat frontal cortex gene expression following chronic cocaine. - Rat Genome Database

Send us a Message



Submit Data |  Help |  Video Tutorials |  News |  Publications |  Download |  REST API |  Citing RGD |  Contact   

Changes in rat frontal cortex gene expression following chronic cocaine.

Authors: Freeman, WM  Brebner, K  Lynch, WJ  Patel, KM  Robertson, DJ  Roberts, DC  Vrana, KE 
Citation: Freeman WM, etal., Brain Res Mol Brain Res. 2002 Jul 15;104(1):11-20.
RGD ID: 1642634
Pubmed: PMID:12117546   (View Abstract at PubMed)

Alterations in gene expression caused by repeated cocaine administration have been implicated in the long-term behavioral aspects of cocaine abuse. The frontal cortex mediates reinforcement, sensory, associative, and executive functions and plays an important role in the mesocortical dopamine reinforcement system. Repeated cocaine administration causes changes in frontal cortex gene expression that may lead to changes in the behaviors subserved by this brain region. Rats treated non-contingently with a binge model of cocaine (45 mg/kg/day, i.p.) for 14 days were screened for changes in relative mRNA abundance in the frontal cortex by cDNA hybridization arrays. To confirm changes, immunoreactive protein was measured (via protein-specific immunoblots) in a second group of identically-treated animals. Protein levels of protein tyrosine kinase 2 (PYK2), activity-regulated cytoskeletal protein (ARC), as well as an antigen related to nerve growth factor I-B (NGFI-B-RA) were shown to be significantly induced after cocaine administration. Levels of NGFI-B mRNA were confirmed by real-time RT-PCR to be increased with cocaine administration. These observations are similar to previously reported cocaine-responsive changes in gene expression but novel to the frontal cortex. This study also validates the use of hybridization arrays for screening of neuronal gene expression changes and the utility of relative protein quantification as a post-hoc confirmation tool.




Biological Process

  
Object Symbol
Species
Term
Qualifier
Evidence
With
Notes
Source
Original Reference(s)
Ptk2bRatresponse to cocaine  IEP  RGD 


Genes (Rattus norvegicus)
Ptk2b  (protein tyrosine kinase 2 beta)