Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
Physiol Behav. 2012 Jan 18;105(2):209-14. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.08.020. Epub 2011 Aug 24.
Significant sex differences have been demonstrated in clinical and preclinical studies of cocaine addiction, with some of the most consistent differences noted in regard to the role of stress and craving. The current study examined stress-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking in male and female rats in an animal model of relapse using corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) administration. Both male and female rats demonstrated increased cocaine seeking in response to CRF. CRF-induced reinstatement was highly variable across both male and female rats, and further analysis revealed a subpopulation that was particularly sensitive to CRF (high responders). Female high responders displayed significantly increased responding to CRF compared to males. Individual differences in stress responsivity could thus contribute to the likelihood of relapse, with females showing greater heterogeneity to stress-induced relapse.
在可卡因成瘾的临床和临床前研究中已经证实了显著的性别差异，其中一些最一致的差异是关于压力和渴望的作用。本研究使用促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子（CRF）给药，在复发动物模型中检查了雄性和雌性大鼠的应激诱导可卡因寻求的恢复。雄性和雌性大鼠均表现出对 CRF 的可卡因寻求增加。CRF 诱导的恢复在雄性和雌性大鼠中均具有高度可变性，进一步分析显示出对 CRF 特别敏感的亚群（高反应者）。雌性高反应者与雄性相比，对 CRF 的反应显著增加。因此，应激反应的个体差异可能导致复发的可能性增加，而女性对应激诱导的复发表现出更大的异质性。
