Amphetamine treatment increases corticotropin-releasing factor receptors in the dorsal raphe nucleus

Abstract

Psychostimulant use increases anxious behavior, likely through interactions between central corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and serotonergic systems. The current study examined whether chronic amphetamine treatment (2.5 mg/kg, 14 days) or withdrawal altered CRF receptor densities in the serotonergic dorsal raphe nucleus (dRN). Amphetamine treatment increased CRF 2 receptor densities in most subregions of the dRN, and CRF 2 receptors were still elevated following 6 weeks of withdrawal. No changes in CRF 1 receptor densities were observed following amphetamine treatment or during withdrawal. Selective increases in dRN CRF 2 receptors may be related to increased anxiety-like behaviors following psychostimulant use.