Sex differences on the impact of Social Isolation during adolescence over cocaine effects in rats: possible role of Wnt canonical pathway

RAMIREZ, ABRAHAM; YOLDJIAN, MARTIN; FUNES, ALEJANDRINA; KONJUH, CINTIA; PACCHIONI AM

CABA

Congreso; XXXVII Encuentro Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigaciones en Neurociencias; 2022

Sociedad Argentina de Investigaciones en Neurociencias

Cocaine use disorder is a chronic disease characterized by the loss of control over drug-seeking and taking. It has been hypothesized that the transition between social use and loss of control is mainly associated with vulnerable users. Such susceptibility depends on environmental and biological factors. Our group is focused on understanding the role of Social Isolation (SI) and sex, as environmental and biological factors respectively, in the vulnerability to cocaine in rats. Furthermore, we are interested in evaluating the role of the Wnt canonical pathway by measuring the levels of b-catenin in brain areas. Recently, we showed that 5 days of SI from postnatal days (PND) 30 to 35 decrease b-catenin levels in Prefrontal Cortex (PFC); and increase cocaine response in adult male rats. In the present study, we evaluate if 5 days of SI (PND30-35) would induce cocaine sensitization on PND45 as well as changes on b-catenin levels in PFC, in female and male rats. Our results showed that SI induced cocaine (5mg/kg i.p.) sensitization only in male rats (p