Effects on opioid-induced rate reductions by doxepin and bupropion

The discriminative stimulus effects of morphine in pigeons responding under a progressive ratio schedule of food presentation

The purpose of this study was to determine whether progressive ratio (PR) schedules might provide additional information, as compared with fixed ratio or fixed interval schedules, on pharmacologic features of discriminative stimuli (e.g. stimulus intensity). Five pigeons discriminated between 5.6 mg/kg morphine and saline under an arithmetic PR5 schedule of food presentation. The final ratio before pigeons either stopped responding for 5 min or switched responding from the selected to the non-selected key was designated as the last completed ratio (LCR). Pigeons responded 6.8% on the drug key following saline and 96.4% on the drug key following 5.6 mg/kg morphine. The average LCR value for saline was not significantly different from the average LCR value for morphine. A larger dose of morphine (10.0 mg/kg) increased the LCR value and significantly decreased rates of responding. Smaller doses of morphine (0.32 and 1.0 mg/kg) occasioned primarily saline-appropriate responding and decreased LCR values. Buprenorphine substituted for morphine and significantly increased LCR values, whereas nalbuphine produced only partial (20-80%) morphine-key responding and significantly decreased LCR. Cocaine did not substitute for morphine or modify LCR compared with saline control. Together, these results suggest that the stimulus effects of micro-opioids vary on a dimension (e.g. intensity) that can be quantified using PR schedules.

Behavioral and neurochemical mechanisms of opioid-antidepressant interactions

Twelve pigeons key-pecked under a multiple variable interval 15-s, 150-s schedule of food reinforcement. The effects of methadone were studied alone and in combination with chronic daily administration of either imipramine (IMI) or desipramine (DMI). Chronic IMI was also given following reductions in response rates by unsignaled delay-to-reinforcement (UDR). Acute administration of methadone produced dose-dependent reductions in response rates under both schedules of reinforcement. Chronic daily administration of IMI or DMI alone did not result in lasting changes in baseline responding. When administered in combination, chronic daily IMI significantly attenuated the rate-reducing effects of methadone, whereas neither a low nor a high dose of chronic daily DMI was effective. The same dose of chronic daily IMI failed to ameliorate response rate reductions under delayed reinforcement. The behavioral and neurochemical specificity of the antidepressant effect is discussed.

Changes in food-maintained progressive-ratio responding of rats following chronic buprenorphine or methadone administration

Seven rats lever pressed under a progressive ratio 3 (PR 3) schedule of food presentation; the number of responses per reinforcer systematically increased during each session. Break point (i.e., the number of responses in the last completed ratio before session termination) was measured under daily methadone (4.5 mg/kg and 3.0 mg/kg) or buprenorphine (0.3 mg/kg) administered prior to experimental sessions. Both drugs initially eliminated rats' food-maintained progressive-ratio responding. Break points during chronic methadone did not return to baseline levels after 80 drug sessions and a dose reduction. In contrast, break points during chronic buprenorphine administration were considerably above baseline control levels for two rats and returned to baseline levels for the third.

Effects of buprenorphine on self-administration of cocaine and a nondrug reinforcer in rats

Nine groups of rats self-administered intravenously-delivered cocaine (0.1, 0.2, or 0.4 mg/kg) during 24-h sessions contingent upon lever-press responses under a fixed-ratio (FR) 4 schedule. Three other groups of rats responded on tongue-operated drinking devices for deliveries (0.01 ml) of a solution of glucose and saccharin (G + S). There were an additional three groups that initially self-administered cocaine (0.2 mg/kg), and later saline replaced cocaine and extinction behavior was allowed to stabilize. All 15 groups of rats were injected twice daily for 5 days with one of three doses of buprenorphine (0.1, 0.2 or 0.4 mg/kg). Buprenorphine decreased cocaine self-administration, but the effect of the highest dose was only slightly greater than that of the lowest dose tested. Cocaine infusions were reduced on the first day of treatment, but they increased over the next 4 days of buprenorphine injections. Buprenorphine decreased G + S intake during the last 2 or 3 days of injections. When buprenorphine treatment was terminated, G + S intake decreased even further. These lower rates of intake persisted for at least 5 days, and they returned to baseline by 2 weeks. Saline self-administration was decreased by buprenorphine in all saline extinction groups. Food intake was not altered by buprenorphine in the groups self-administering IV cocaine or saline; however, food intake was reduced in the G + S groups. Water intake increased during buprenorphine treatment in some of the cocaine groups but not in the G + S groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)