PII S0361-9230(96)00327-9 Dopaminergic and Glutamatergic Mechanisms Mediate the Induction of FOS-Like Protein by Cocaethylene

is a psychoactive metabolite formed during the combined consumption of cocaine and ethanol. As this metabolite has many properties in common with cocaine, it is conceivable that cocaethylene administration may induce the activity of nuclear transcription factors that regulate the expres-sion of late-response genes. Therefore, the temporal induction of FOS-like protein in rat brain was examined following IP ad-ministration of 60 mmol/kg cocaethylene. Immunoreactivity for the protein was detectable at 1 h in striatal neurons and had virtually disappeared 6 h after drug treatment. Administration of specific dopaminergic (SCH-23390; 0.5 mg/kg) and glutama-tergic (MK-801; 1 mg/kg) receptor antagonists prior to coca-ethylene indicated a significant role for dopamine (D1) and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subtypes in mediating the nuclear induction of the aforementioned transcription factor protein. I