Université de Fribourg

The role of gamma-synuclein in cocaine-induced behaviour in rats

Boyer, Frederic ; Dreyer, Jean-Luc

In: European Journal of Neuroscience, 2008, vol. 27, no. 11, p. 2938 - 2951

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of γ-synuclein in the rewarding effects of chronic cocaine administration and its putative interaction with the dopamine transporter (DAT). For this purpose, regulatable lentiviruses driving overexpression of the rat γ-synuclein or DAT have been prepared, as well as lentiviruses expressing siRNAs, aimed at silencing either DAT or γ-synuclein...

Université de Fribourg

Role of accumbens BDNF and TrkB in cocaine-induced psychomotor sensitization, conditioned-place preference, and reinstatement in rats

Bahi, Amine ; Boyer, Frederic ; Vijay, Chandrasekar ; Dreyer, Jean-Luc

In: Psychopharmacology, 2008, vol. 199, no. 2, p. 169-182

Background Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is involved in the survival and function of midbrain DA neurons. BDNF action is mediated by the TrkB receptor–tyrosine kinase, and both BDNF and TrkB transcripts are widely expressed in the rat mesolimbic pathway, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the ventral tegmentum area (VTA). Objective BDNF was previously shown to be involved in...

Université de Fribourg

CD81-induced behavioural changes during chronic cocaine administration: in vivo gene delivery with regulatable lentivirus

Bahi, Amine ; Boyer, Frederic ; Kafri, Tal ; Dreyer, Jean-Luc

In: European Journal of Neuroscience, 2004, vol. 19, p. 1621-1633

CD81, a tetraspanin transmembrane protein involved in cell adhesion, is up-regulated in the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway 24 h following acute administration of high doses of cocaine [Brenz-Verca et al., (2001) Mol. Cell. Neurosci., 17, 303-316]. Further evidence consecutive with this observation and based on microarray analysis are presented here. In addition, a regulatable lentivirus was...