Under continuous dizocilpine infusion an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor independent form of cocaine sensitization develops in rats.

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor blockade is thought to prevent the development of cocaine-induced sensitization. Moreover, when cocaine is administered daily along with dizocilpine infusion to previously sensitized rats, the extinction of sensitization occurs. We report here two sets of experiments: (1) Rats were infused with dizocilpine through a subcutaneous mini-pump (0.1 mg/kg/day) during the induction of cocaine sensitization and, after 2 or 7 days of wash-out, were challenged with: cocaine, dizocilpine plus cocaine or 3-((+/-)2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl)-propyl-L-phosphonic acid (CPP) plus cocaine. Cocaine induced stereotypy scores significantly lower than that produced by the two drug combinations. Animals infused with dizocilpine alone did not present stereotypies when challenged either with dizocilpine or with dizocilpine plus cocaine. (2) Rats previously sensitized to cocaine received dizocilpine by infusion and daily cocaine treatments for a week. During the first days of infusion, sensitization appeared to be significantly decreased, but it resumed the initial intensity on days 6-7. After 2 and 9 days of wash-out, the expression of sensitization could be retrieved only by dizocilpine plus cocaine. Two distinct forms of sensitization to cocaine thus seem to exist: one dependent on and the second independent of NMDA receptor activity.