Dynamic BDNF activity in nucleus accumbens with cocaine use increases self-administration and relapse

A single exposure to cocaine rapidly induces the brief activation of several immediate early genes, but the role of such short-term regulation in the enduring consequences of cocaine use is poorly understood. We found that 4 h of intravenous cocaine self-administration in rats induced a transient increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and activation of TrkB-mediated signaling in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Augmenting this dynamic regulation with five daily NAc BDNF infusions caused enduring increases in cocaine self-administration, and facilitated relapse to cocaine seeking in withdrawal. In contrast, neutralizing endogenous BDNF regulation with intra-NAc infusions of antibody to BDNF subsequently reduced cocaine self-administration and attenuated relapse. Using localized inducible BDNF knockout in mice, we found that BDNF originating from NAc neurons was necessary for maintaining increased cocaine self-administration. These findings suggest that dynamic induction and release of BDNF from NAc neurons during cocaine use promotes the development and persistence of addictive behavior.