Different Effects of Peer Sex on Operant Responding for Social Interaction and Striatal Dopamine Activity

Study Authors Jonathan Chow and Kayla Pitts

Hot Off the Press – April 18, 2024

Published in The Journal of Neuroscience by Jonathan Chow, Kayla Pitts and Yavin Shaham, et al. from the NIDA IRP Neurobiology of Relapse Section.

Summary

Recent studies have shown that when rats are given a mutually exclusive choice between social interaction with a peer and an addictive drug, they almost always choose social interaction. However, these studies were conducted with peers of the same sex. Here we examined if peer-sex influences operant social interaction and the role of the estrous cycle and striatal dopamine in same- vs. opposite-sex social interaction. Operant responding was higher for the opposite-sex peer in male, but not female rats, and estrous cycle had no effect on operant social interaction of either sex. Striatal dopamine signals during operant social interaction were impacted by the peer’s sex.

Publication Information

Chow, Jonathan J; Pitts, Kayla M; Schoenbaum, Ansel; Costa, Kauê M; Schoenbaum, Geoffrey; Shaham, Yavin

Different Effects of Peer Sex on Operant Responding for Social Interaction and Striatal Dopamine Activity Journal Article

In: J Neurosci, vol. 44, no. 10, 2024, ISSN: 1529-2401.

Abstract | Links

@article{pmid38346894,

title = {Different Effects of Peer Sex on Operant Responding for Social Interaction and Striatal Dopamine Activity},

author = {Jonathan J Chow and Kayla M Pitts and Ansel Schoenbaum and Kauê M Costa and Geoffrey Schoenbaum and Yavin Shaham},

url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38346894/},

doi = {10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1887-23.2024},

issn = {1529-2401},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-03-01},

urldate = {2024-03-01},

journal = {J Neurosci},

volume = {44},

number = {10},

abstract = {When rats are given discrete choices between social interactions with a peer and opioid or psychostimulant drugs, they choose social interaction, even after extensive drug self-administration experience. Studies show that like drug and nondrug food reinforcers, social interaction is an operant reinforcer and induces dopamine release. However, these studies were conducted with same-sex peers. We examined if peer sex influences operant social interaction and the role of estrous cycle and striatal dopamine in same- versus opposite-sex social interaction. We trained male and female rats ( = 13 responders/12 peers) to lever-press (fixed-ratio 1 [FR1] schedule) for 15 s access to a same- or opposite-sex peer for 16 d (8 d/sex) while tracking females' estrous cycle. Next, we transfected GRAB-DA2m and implanted optic fibers into nucleus accumbens (NAc) core and dorsomedial striatum (DMS). We then retrained the rats for 15 s social interaction (FR1 schedule) for 16 d (8 d/sex) and recorded striatal dopamine during operant responding for a peer for 8 d (4 d/sex). Finally, we assessed economic demand by manipulating FR requirements for a peer (10 d/sex). In male, but not female rats, operant responding was higher for the opposite-sex peer. Female's estrous cycle fluctuations had no effect on operant social interaction. Striatal dopamine signals for operant social interaction were dependent on the peer's sex and striatal region (NAc core vs DMS). Results indicate that estrous cycle fluctuations did not influence operant social interaction and that NAc core and DMS dopamine activity reflect sex-dependent features of volitional social interaction.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}