A. First part of experimental timeline for Experiment 3 in
which IL terminals in the NAshell were illuminated during cocaine-seeking tests.
B. Number of active and inactive lever presses and cocaine
infusions for the last 10 d of cocaine self-administration for all rats included
in the final analysis. C. Following the last d of
self-administration (baseline craving) and the last d of the drug-free homecage
period (incubation of craving), rats underwent 1-h cue-induced drug-seeking
tests. Left, Rats pressed the active lever more during the
incubation-of-craving test than during the baseline craving test, demonstrating
incubation of cocaine craving. Right, Active lever presses from
baseline- and incubation-of-craving tests, broken down into 15-min bins. *, p
< 0.05 compared to baseline test. D. Schematic diagrams of
fiber optic placement (left) and manipulations given during
cocaine-seeking and open field tests (right). One min before
the session, a 473 nm laser was used and, following the session, a 561 nm laser
was used. E.
Left, Active lever presses during the cue-induced cocaine
seeking test. Laser treatment significantly attenuated cocaine seeking compared
to sham treatment. Inset, Active lever presses for individual
rats following either sham or laser treatment. *, p < 0.05 compared to
sham treatment. F. Active lever presses during the cocaine-primed
(5 mg/kg) drug-seeking test. Illumination of IL terminals in the NAshell did not
alter cocaine-primed drug seeking. G. Experimental timeline for
subsequent behavioral procedures in Experiment 3. H. Illumination
of IL terminals in the NAshell during cue-induced reinstatement did not
significantly alter cocaine seeking following extinction training. *, p <
0.05 compared to extinction baseline. EXT, extinction. Note the decrease in
subjects from 16 to 14 due to 2 deaths. I. Illumination of IL
terminals in the NAshell during cocaine-primed reinstatement did not
significantly alter cocaine seeking following extinction training. *, p <
0.05 relative to extinction baseline. Note the decrease in subjects from 14 to
13 due to failure to re-extinguish following the cue-induced reinstatement.
J. Laser treatment did not significantly alter rats’
distance traveled in the open field test compared to sham treatment. Note the
decrease in subjects 13 to 12 due to one rat’s death prior to open field
testing.