Mentor/s:
Jennifer Barreto Estrada, PhD
Project Title:
Increased BDNF expression in the nucleus accumbens and hippocampus for the extinction of morphine place preference across the estrous cycle in females
Project Description:
This study investigates the neurobiological mechanisms underlying opioid addiction in females by examining the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the extinction of drug-seeking behaviors. Using a morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) model, we previously found that females who extinguished drug-seeking behaviors exhibited increased BDNF expression in the hippocampus (HPC), while the amygdala (AMY) remained unchanged. Expanding on this work, we now assess BDNF expression in the ventral striatum/nucleus accumbens (VS/NAc) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), alongside estrous cycle monitoring. Our results show increased BDNF expression in the VS/NAc in animals that extinguished CPP, consistent with prior HPC findings. The mPFC showed no significant changes. Preliminary data suggest that females in the extinction group were in the estrous stage, indicating a potential link between extinction processes, BDNF expression, and hormonal fluctuations.
