PILOT STUDY--CNS VIRAL INJURY AND VULNERABILITY TO NICOTINE ABUSE

尼古丁滥用给我们的社会和医疗保健系统带来的严重问题强调了研究工作对了解尼古丁使用和滥用的生物学的重要性。越来越多的实验证据支持反复刺激中边缘多巴胺神经元在尼古丁依赖的发展和维持中的作用。事实上，尼古丁对大脑儿茶酚胺系统的影响被认为是尼古丁对中枢神经系统最重要的作用之一。本实验采用基于博马病病毒- bdv（精神分裂症动物模型）的病毒诱导的中皮质边缘DA -过动小动物模型，探讨由持续中枢神经系统病毒感染引起的DA -过动非病变动物模型与药物寻求行为之间的关系。将开发动物模型，然后测试尼古丁的依赖诱导效应，通过尼古丁戒断的躯体迹象来测量，以及尼古丁戒断的情感（情绪）效应，通过场所厌恶来测量（具体目标1）。了解脑炎病毒感染产生的多巴胺能紊乱如何影响尼古丁依赖，可以为尼古丁依赖的机制提供新的见解，并有助于理解尼古丁滥用和神经精神疾病的合并症。

The magnitude of the problem of nicotine abuse to our society and our health care delivery system underscores the importance of research efforts to understand the biology of nicotine use and abuse. There is increasing experimental evidence to support a role for repeated stimulation of the - mesolimbic dopamine neurons in the development and maintenance of nicotine dependence. In fact, the effects of nicotine on brain catecholamine systems are thought to be among nicotine's most important CNS actions. Using a small animal model of viral-induced mesocorticolimbic DA - hyperactivity based on Boma Disease Virus-BDV (an animal model of schizophrenia), the proposed experiment will explore the relation between a non-lesion animal model of DA hyperactivity, caused by persistent CNS viral infection, and drug-seeking behavior. The animal model will be developed then tested for the dependence-inducing effects of nicotine, as measured by the somatic signs of nicotine withdrawal, and the affective (emotional) effects of nicotine withdrawal, as measured by place aversion (Specific Aim 1). Knowledge of how an encephalitic viral infection producing dopaminergic disturbances influences nicotine dependence could provide new insights into mechanisms of nicotine dependence, and aid in understanding the co-morbidity of nicotine abuse and neuropsychiatric conditions.