Effects of Carbetocin on ethanol behavioral sensitization and glucocorticoid receptors in female and male Swiss mice

• Grant number: 22/05101-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2022
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Neuropsychopharmacology
• Principal Investigator: Rosana Camarini
• Grantee: Beatriz Costa Vieira de Souza
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Substance use disorder is a complex disease, influenced by genetic, environmental, and social factors (Kendler, 2001), and is characterized by the compulsive use of a drug, loss of control over its administration, and persistent use despite its negative effects (Koob, 2008). Oxytocin (OT) is a pro-social peptide that has been increasingly described as a protector against drug addiction. Specifically, regarding ethanol, it has been previously shown that OT decreases self-administration (Leong et al., 2018), blocks motor impairment (Bowen et al., 2015) in rodents, and decreases craving in humans (Hansson et al., 2018). Glucocorticoids have been implicated in the regulation of OT. The aim of this work is to evaluate the effects of Carbetocin (CBT), an OT analog, in the expression of behavioral sensitization to ethanol, in plasma corticosterone levels, and in the expression of glucocorticoid receptors (GR) in male and female mice.(AU)