Addictive and non addictive drugs induce distinct and specific patterns of ERK activation in mouse brain.
type: Dataset
description: A major goal of research on addiction is to identify the molecular mechanisms of long-lasting behavioural alterations induced by drugs of abuse. Cocaine and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) activate extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in the striatum and blockade of the ERK pathway prevents establishment of conditioned place preference to these drugs. However, it is not known whether activation of ERK in the striatum is specific for these two drugs and/or this brain region. We studied the appearance of phospho-ERK immunoreactive neurons in CD-1 mouse brain following acute administration of drugs commonly abused by humans, cocaine, morphine, nicotine and THC, or of other psychoactive compounds including caffeine, scopolamine, antidepressants and antipsychotics. Each drug generated a distinct regional pattern of ERK activation. All drugs of abuse increased ERK phosphorylation in nucleus accumbens, lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, central amygdala and deep layers of prefrontal cortex, through a dopamine D1 receptor-dependent mechanism. Although some non-addictive drugs moderately activated ERK in a few of these areas, they never induced this combined pattern of strong activation. Antidepressants and caffeine activated ERK in hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Typical antipsychotics mildly activated ERK in dorsal striatum and superficial prefrontal cortex, whereas clozapine had no effect in the striatum, but more widespread effects in cortex and amygdala. Our results outline a subset of structures in which ERK activation might specifically contribute to the long-term effects of drugs of abuse, and suggest mapping ERK activation in brain as a way to identify potential sites of action of psychoactive drugs.
landing page: 0953-816X
keyword: cd1-mice
keyword: d1-receptors
keyword: dopamine
keyword: drug-of-abuse
keyword: extended-amygdala
keyword: infoeu-reposemanticsarticle
keyword: journal-articles
keyword: nucleus-accumbens
keyword: sdvneusclife-sciences-q-bioneurons-and-cognition-q-bionccognitive-sciences
issued: 2026-05-15T01:24:15.990265
modified: 2026-05-15T01:24:15.990281
language: en
contact point: Organization
  fn: CCSD

test_moissonnage_selune
type: Agent

Addictive and non addictive drugs induce distinct and specific patterns of ERK activation in mouse brain.
type: Distribution
format: HTML
access URL: https://hal.science/hal-00077883
issued: 2026-05-15T01:24:16.096669
modified: 2026-05-15T01:24:15.930863