Figure 1.

Alcohol memory retrieval does not affect the activation of the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. (A) Experimental design and timeline. Rats consumed alcohol in the intermittent access to 20% alcohol in a 2-bottle choice paradigm for nine weeks, followed by 10 days of abstinence. After the abstinence period, alcohol memory was retrieved using an odor-taste cue. Tissues were collected 30 min and 60 min after the retrieval. Phosphorylation and total protein levels in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), nucleus accumbens (NAc) and whole amygdala were determined by western blot. (B–G) Phospho-protein levels of AKT (Thr308, Ser473), glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) (Ser9), and collapsin response mediator protein-2 (CRMP2) (Thr514) were normalized to the total protein immunoreactivity (B,D,F). Total protein levels of CRMP2 were normalized to glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) (C,E,G). Bar graphs represent mean ± SEM of the percent of change from the control No retrieval group. n = 9–11 (4–5 males, 4–6 females). * p < 0.05 (No retrieval vs. Retrieval 30 min).