After a minimum 7 day acclimation period, rats
used for self-administration experiments were anesthetized with ketamine
(100 mg/kg) and xylazine (10 mg/kg) and implanted with an i.v. silicone
catheter (ID, 0.012 in OD, 0.025 in Access Technologies, Skokie, IL)
inserted into the jugular vein that exited through the skin of the
dorsal scapulae region. Rats received postsurgical antibiotic (Neo-Predef,
Pharmacia & Upjohn Company, New York, NY) and analgesic (5 mg/kg;
Ketoprofen, Patterson Veterinary, Devens, MA) and recovered for 3
days prior to training.
For voltammetry experiments, rats were
anesthetized with intraperitoneal (i.p.) urethane (1.5 g/kg) and implanted
with a jugular vein catheter before being placed in a stereotaxic
apparatus. Once in the apparatus, rats were implanted with a bipolar
stimulating electrode (Plastics One, Roanoke, VA) aimed at the VTA
(+5.2 P, +1.1 L, −7.5 to −8.0 V). A carbon fiber microelectrode
was implanted within the core of the NAc (−1.3 A, +1.3 L, −6.5
to −7.0 V), and a reference electrode was implanted in the
contralateral cortex (−2.5 A, −2.5 L, −2.0 V).
Prince C.D., Rau A.R., Yorgason J.T, & España R.A. (2014). Hypocretin/Orexin Regulation of Dopamine Signaling and Cocaine Self-Administration Is Mediated Predominantly by Hypocretin Receptor 1. ACS Chemical Neuroscience, 6(1), 138-146.