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 (2.5 mg/kg, 14 days) or withdrawal altered CRF receptor densities in the serotonergic dorsal raphe nucleus (dRN). Amphetamine treatment increased CRF2 receptor densities in most subregions of the dRN, and CRF2 receptors were still elevated following 6 weeks of withdrawal. No changes in CRF1 receptor densities were observed following amphetamine treatment or during withdrawal. Selective increases in dRN CRF2 receptors may be related to increased anxiety-like behaviors following psychostimulant use.