Browsing by Author "Buczek, Laura"

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    Impact of cocaine sensitization on GLT1 protein levels in the medial Prefrontal Cortex and Nucleus Accumbens Core
    (2022-05) Aruldas, Rachel; Buczek, Laura; Sade, Spencer
    Cocaine is an addictive stimulant that targets parts of the corticostriatal reward circuit like the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). The mPFC communicates with the NAc via glutamatergic projections which regulate reward-seeking behavior. Cocaine self-administration downregulates glutamate transporter 1 (GLT1) gene expression and disrupts this communication. We aimed to determine if cocaine impacts GLT1 protein levels in the mPFC and NAc core. Rats were given cocaine or saline injections for six days and a challenge injection on the seventh day. They were divided into groups based on the initial and challenge injections they received: cocaine & cocaine (c-c), cocaine & saline (c-s), saline & cocaine (s-c), saline & saline (s-s). The locomotion of rats was tracked for forty-five minutes following daily injections. On the seventh day, tissue from the rat’s NAc core (NAcC) and mPFC was extracted. Western Blots were used to quantify GLT-1 levels in the collected tissue. We hypothesized that group c-c would have the lowest GLT1 levels and group s-s would have the highest GLT1 levels as those rats had no cocaine exposure. Our results showed that cocaine sensitization had no impact on GLT1 expression levels in the mPFC and NAcC. These results will inform further research into the impact of cocaine sensitization vs self-administration on proteins in specific regions of the brain.
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    The role of astrocytic adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase in cocaine-related behaviors
    (2022-01) Buczek, Laura
    Cocaine use induces changes in the brain’s structure and function inducing long-lasting changes in behavior and cognition. There are no FDA approved treatments for cocaine use disorder. Investigating cocaine-induced neuroadaptations, specifically changes in brain protein expression and function, will inform molecular targets for future therapeutic drug development. Two proteins, glial glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) and phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (pAMPK) are downregulated upon cocaine exposure. It is unknown whether AMPK, expressed in neurons and astrocytes, regulates GLT-1 in the striatum in a cell-specific manner. I will first determine how astrocyte-specific manipulation of striatal AMPK impacts GLT-1 expression and function in the striatum. I will then determine whether the same astrocytic AMPK manipulations influence cocaine locomotor sensitization and acquisition of cocaine self-administration.