Medical University of South Carolina MEDICA MUSC Theses and Dissertations 2015 Examining Oxytocin as a Potential Pharmacotherapy for Methamphetamine Addiction Brittney M. Cox Medical University of South Carolina Follow this and additional works at: https://medica-musc.researchcommons.org/theses Recommended Citation Cox, Brittney M., "Examining Oxytocin as a Potential Pharmacotherapy for Methamphetamine Addiction" (2015). MUSC Theses and Dissertations. 447. https://medica-musc.researchcommons.org/theses/447 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by MEDICA. It has been accepted for inclusion in MUSC Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of MEDICA. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Examining Oxytocin as a Potential Pharmacotherapy for Methamphetamine Addiction by Brittney M. Cox A dissertation submitted to the faculty of the Medical University of South Carolina in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Graduate Studies. Department of Neurosciences 2015 Approved by: Gary Aston-Jones Advisory Committee Chairman Ronald E See Co-Chairman Carmela M Reichel Judson Chandler Patrick J Mulholland Stan B Floresco ii Abstract Human and animal studies suggest that females differ in their motivation to use methamphetamine (meth), and have increased propensity to relapse. However, addiction pharmacotherapies have primarily only been tested in males, which may not accurately predict treatment outcomes in females. Evidence suggests that oxytocin, an endogenous peptide well known for its role in social behaviors and childbirth, is a promising addiction pharmacotherapy. This dissertation first examines sex differences in the effect of oxytocin to decrease meth and sucrose seeking. Our data indicate that systemic oxytocin decreased responding for meth differentially in males and females on a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement (a measure of motivation) in females but not males, although it reduced reinstatement of meth seeking similarly in both sexes.