Sexually arousing events and relapse to heroin-seeking in sexually experienced male rats.

We have shown previously, using a reinstatement procedure, that both priming injections of heroin and exposure to footshock stress reinstate heroin-taking behavior following prolonged drug-free periods. In the present study, we examined the effect of another highly arousing event, exposure to a sexually active female, on reinstatement of heroin-seeking. Male rats were first given sexual experience, being allowed to copulate on 4 occasions with sexually active females and were then trained to self-administer heroin (100 micrograms/kg per infusion, IV) for 4 3-h sessions/day for 5-6 days and 1 6-h session/day for an additional 6 days. Extinction sessions were then given for 4 days, 6-h/day, during which saline was substituted for heroin. On tests for reinstatement, males were presented with: 1. The wire-mesh side of an empty cage (baseline condition), 2. the sight, odor, and smell of a sexually inactive female, 3. the sight, odor, and smell of a female in heat, 4. a female in heat, and allowed to copulate, 5. intermittent footshock (15 min, 0.5 mA, 0.5 s on, mean off period of 40 s), or 6. a priming injection of heroin (0.25 mg/kg, SC). Reinstatement of heroin-taking behavior was observed after exposure to the priming injection of heroin and to footshock stress. Reinstatement of heroin-taking behavior was not induced by exposure to the females in any of the conditions. Thus, motivational arousal, as such, does not appear to be a sufficient stimulus for relapse to heroin-taking.