Amphetamine treatment increases corticotropin-releasing factor receptors in the dorsal raphe nucleus.

Psychostimulant use increases anxious behavior, likely through interactions between central corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and serotonergic systems. The current study examined whether chronic amphetamine treatment (2.5mg/kg, 14 days) or withdrawal altered CRF receptor densities in the serotonergic dorsal raphe nucleus (dRN). Amphetamine treatment increased CRF(2) receptor densities in most subregions of the dRN, and CRF(2) receptors were still elevated following 6 weeks of withdrawal. No changes in CRF(1) receptor densities were observed following amphetamine treatment or during withdrawal. Selective increases in dRN CRF(2) receptors may be related to increased anxiety-like behaviors following psychostimulant use.