Different current intensities electrical stimulation of prelimbic cortex of mPFC produces different effects on morphine-induced conditioned place preference in rats

Abstract

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a part of brain reward system involved in higher cognitive functions such as learning and memory. The mPFC receives strong dopaminergic innervations from ventral tegmental area (VTA) that comprises a portion of the mesolimbic dopaminergic system (MLDS), and in turn sends glutamate projection to both the VTA and nucleus accumbens (NAc). In the present study, we investigated the influence of electrical stimulation with different current intensities on prelimbic cortex (PL, subdivision of mPFC) (25, 50, 100, and 150μA) with and without an effective dose of morphine (0.5 and 5mg/kg) on CPP during conditioning and post-conditioning phases. Subcutaneous administration of morphine 5mg/kg produced significant CPP in comparison with saline group. Our findings also showed that electrical stimulation of PL (100μA) suppressed morphine-induced CPP that reveals impaired learning and memory formation in the process of conditioning through the blocking connection from the hippocampus to the prelimbic cortex of mPFC. A lowest current intensity (25μA) in combination with ineffective dose of morphine (0.5mg/kg) increased morphine-induced CPP probability via the prove reward system.