Effects of Bupropion on Pain-Related Depression of Shredding in Male and Female Mice

Abstract ID 93993 Poster Board 105 A key goal in preclinical pain research is understanding the underlying mechanisms of pain and pain-disrupted behaviors to improve treatments for pain. Past studies suggest dopamine plays a role in pain-related disruptions of behavior. However, there are conflicting results on the efficacy of dopamine transport inhibitors in the treatment of blocking pain-related depression of behavior. The goal of the present study was to examine the effects of the dopamine transport inhibitor bupropion in the treatment of pain-related depression of behavior. Bupropion was examined at doses of 1.0, 3.2, and 10.0 mg/kg for its ability to block lactic acid-induced depression of Nestlet shredding in male and female ICR mice. At the start of test sessions, a 5 x 5 cm Nestlet was weighed and suspended from the wire lid of the home cage. Under control conditions, mice shredded the nestlet over the course of a 30-minute session. The administration of 0.18% lactic acid depressed the Nestlet shredding. Bupropion dose-dependently blocked the depression of Nestlet shredding in the presence of acid. Bupropion did not disrupt the behavior of Nestlet shredding in the absence of acid at any of the doses tested. These findings suggest dopamine transport inhibitors like bupropion can be potential treatments for pain-related depression of behavior. Augusta University Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship, and a grant from the National Institute on Aging (1R15AG055041-01A1).