Sleep deprivation enhances cocaine conditioned place preference in an orexin receptor-modulated manner

Drug addiction and withdrawal are characterized by sleep disruption, but the effects of sleep disruption on these states are not well characterized. Sleep deprivation (SD) immediately before the cocaine conditioning trials enhanced cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) in a dose-dependent manner (3, 8mg/kg but not 15mg/kg) in mice. SD immediately before the postconditioning test also enhanced cocaine CPP preference in a dose-dependent manner (8mg/kg, but not 3, 15mg/kg). Exposure to orexin-receptor antagonism (1mg/kg SB 334867, an orexin 1 receptor antagonist; OX1R) just before cocaine-conditioning trials or the postconditioning test attenuated SD-enhanced preference. This suggests a potential therapeutic role for the manipulation of the orexin system to mitigate drug seeking, especially in the context of sleep loss before drug exposure.