Glutamatergic AMPA and NMDA receptors in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are central for cocaine first exposure and posterior craving maintenance. However, the exact rules that coordinate the synaptic dynamics of these receptors in dopaminergic VTA neurons and behavioral outcomes are poorly understood. Additionally, synaptic homeostatic plasticity is present in response to chronic excitability changes in neuronal circuits, adjusting the strength of synapses to stabilize the firing rate. Despite having correspondent mechanisms, little is known about the relationship between continuous cocaine exposure and homeostatic synaptic changes in the VTA neurons. Here, we assess the role of homeostatic mechanisms in the neurobiology of cocaine addiction by providing a brief overview of the parallels between cocaine-induced synaptic potentiation and long-term synaptic adaptations, focusing on the regulation of GluA1- and GluN1- containing receptors.

中文翻译：

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兴奋性、突触平衡和成瘾：可卡因暴露后 VTA 中离子型谷氨酸受体的稳态动力学。


腹侧被盖区 (VTA) 的谷氨酸 AMPA 和 NMDA 受体是可卡因首次暴露和后渴望维持的中心。然而，人们对协调多巴胺能 VTA 神经元中这些受体的突触动力学和行为结果的确切规则知之甚少。此外，突触稳态可塑性是响应神经元回路的慢性兴奋性变化而存在的，调整突触的强度以稳定放电率。尽管有相应的机制，但人们对连续可卡因暴露与 VTA 神经元稳态突触变化之间的关系知之甚少。在这里，我们通过简要概述可卡因诱导的突触增强和长期突触适应之间的相似之处，评估稳态机制在可卡因成瘾神经生物学中的作用，重点关注含有 GluA1 和 GluN1 的受体的调节。