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Maguire DR. Interactions between lorcaserin and opioids: Ventilation and food-versus-drug choice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 234:173673. [PMID: 37951365 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2023.173673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Lorcaserin, a selective serotonin 2C (5-HT2C) receptor agonist, was approved for treating obesity and has been investigated for treating substance use disorders including those involving opioids. Although lorcaserin was withdrawn from the market, interest in the therapeutic potential of drugs acting at 5-HT2C receptors continues, supporting the need to further characterize potential adverse effects especially when combined with drugs of abuse. This study examined acute effects of lorcaserin on opioid-induced ventilatory depression, which is the primary cause of overdose, and opioid self-administration, which models factors contributing to opioid abuse, in male and female rhesus monkeys. In one group (n = 4), effects of morphine (0.178 to 5.6 mg/kg, s.c.), fentanyl (0.0032 to 0.1 mg/kg, s.c.), and lorcaserin (0.1 to 1.78 mg/kg, s.c.) alone as well as effects of lorcaserin with each opioid on ventilation were determined using head plethysmography. Another group (n = 5) responded under a food versus fentanyl (0.1 to 3.2 μg/kg/infusion, i.v.) choice procedure, and lorcaserin (0.32 to 1.78 mg/kg, i.v.) was given as a pretreatment. Lorcaserin dose-dependently decreased minute volume to below 70 % of baseline when administered alone and increased the potency of morphine and fentanyl. Consistent with previous studies, lorcaserin failed to alter choice of fentanyl over food. This study demonstrates the novel finding that lorcaserin alone decreases ventilation and enhances the ventilatory-depressant effects of opioids. Taken together with previous studies, these results suggest that combining a 5-HT2C receptor agonist such as lorcaserin with an opioid could increase the risk of ventilatory depression without the benefit of decreasing abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Maguire
- Department of Pharmacology and Addiction Research, Treatment & Training Center of Excellence, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
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2
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Mazza M, Kotzalidis GD, Marano G, De Berardis D, Martinotti G, Romagnoli E, Biondi-Zoccai G, Abbate A, Sani G. Lorcaserin: Worthy of Further Insights? Results from Recent Research. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS DRUG TARGETS 2024; 23:278-283. [PMID: 37005521 DOI: 10.2174/1871527322666230330124137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
Lorcaserin is a 3-benzazepine that binds 5-HT2C serotonin receptors in the hypothalamus, where it mediates lack of hunger and/or satiety, and in the ventral tegmental area, the site of origin of the mesolimbic and mesocortical dopaminergic projections, which mediate pleasure and reward. The drug has been first developed for the treatment of obesity, where it has shown efficacy, and subsequently trialed to counter substance use (mostly cocaine, cannabis, opioids, and nicotine) and craving, but showed inconsistent effects. Since 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration obtained that the drug was voluntarily withdrawn from the US market on the grounds that its long-term use was found to be associated with a greater incidence of some types of cancer. Provided it can show to be free from cancerogenic effects, ongoing research suggests that lorcaserin may have therapeutic potential for a variety of disorders and conditions beyond obesity. Since 5-HT2C receptors are involved in many diversified physiological functions (mood, feeding, reproductive behavior, neuronal processes related to impulsiveness, and modulating reward-related mechanisms) this drug has the potential to treat different central nervous system conditions, such as depression and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Mazza
- Department of Geriatrics, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Neuroscience and Orthopedics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Georgios D Kotzalidis
- Department of Geriatrics, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Neuroscience and Orthopedics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health, and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Marano
- Department of Geriatrics, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Neuroscience and Orthopedics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Giovanni Martinotti
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmacology, Clinical Science, University of Hertfordshire, AL 10 9AB Herts, UK
| | - Enrico Romagnoli
- Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Biondi-Zoccai
- Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 04100 Latina, Italy
- Mediterranea Cardiocentro, 80122 Napoli, Italy
| | - Antonio Abbate
- Berne Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Virginia, 22908 Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Gabriele Sani
- Department of Geriatrics, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Neuroscience and Orthopedics, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
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3
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Barrett JE, Shekarabi A, Inan S. Oxycodone: A Current Perspective on Its Pharmacology, Abuse, and Pharmacotherapeutic Developments. Pharmacol Rev 2023; 75:1062-1118. [PMID: 37321860 PMCID: PMC10595024 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.121.000506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxycodone, a semisynthetic derivative of naturally occurring thebaine, an opioid alkaloid, has been available for more than 100 years. Although thebaine cannot be used therapeutically due to the occurrence of convulsions at higher doses, it has been converted to a number of other widely used compounds that include naloxone, naltrexone, buprenorphine, and oxycodone. Despite the early identification of oxycodone, it was not until the 1990s that clinical studies began to explore its analgesic efficacy. These studies were followed by the pursuit of several preclinical studies to examine the analgesic effects and abuse liability of oxycodone in laboratory animals and the subjective effects in human volunteers. For a number of years oxycodone was at the forefront of the opioid crisis, playing a significant role in contributing to opioid misuse and abuse, with suggestions that it led to transitioning to other opioids. Several concerns were expressed as early as the 1940s that oxycodone had significant abuse potential similar to heroin and morphine. Both animal and human abuse liability studies have confirmed, and in some cases amplified, these early warnings. Despite sharing a similar structure with morphine and pharmacological actions also mediated by the μ-opioid receptor, there are several differences in the pharmacology and neurobiology of oxycodone. The data that have emerged from the many efforts to analyze the pharmacological and molecular mechanism of oxycodone have generated considerable insight into its many actions, reviewed here, which, in turn, have provided new information on opioid receptor pharmacology. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Oxycodone, a μ-opioid receptor agonist, was synthesized in 1916 and introduced into clinical use in Germany in 1917. It has been studied extensively as a therapeutic analgesic for acute and chronic neuropathic pain as an alternative to morphine. Oxycodone emerged as a drug with widespread abuse. This article brings together an integrated, detailed review of the pharmacology of oxycodone, preclinical and clinical studies of pain and abuse, and recent advances to identify potential opioid analgesics without abuse liability.
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Affiliation(s)
- James E Barrett
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Aryan Shekarabi
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Saadet Inan
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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4
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Chang VN, Peters J. Neural circuits controlling choice behavior in opioid addiction. Neuropharmacology 2023; 226:109407. [PMID: 36592884 PMCID: PMC9898219 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
As the opioid epidemic presents an ever-expanding public health threat, there is a growing need to identify effective new treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD). OUD is characterized by a behavioral misallocation in choice behavior between opioids and other rewards, as opioid use leads to negative consequences, such as job loss, family neglect, and potential overdose. Preclinical models of addiction that incorporate choice behavior, as opposed to self-administration of a single drug reward, are needed to understand the neural circuits governing opioid choice. These choice models recapitulate scenarios that humans suffering from OUD encounter in their daily lives. Indeed, patients with substance use disorders (SUDs) exhibit a propensity to choose drug under certain conditions. While most preclinical addiction models have focused on relapse as the outcome measure, our data suggest that choice is an independent metric of addiction severity, perhaps relating to loss of cognitive control over choice, as opposed to excessive motivational drive to seek drugs during relapse. In this review, we examine both preclinical and clinical literature on choice behavior for drugs, with a focus on opioids, and the neural circuits that mediate drug choice versus relapse. We argue that preclinical models of opioid choice are needed to identify promising new avenues for OUD therapy that are translationally relevant. Both forward and reverse translation will be necessary to identify novel treatment interventions. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Opioid-induced changes in addiction and pain circuits".
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria N Chang
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Jamie Peters
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
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Grasing KW, Burnell K, De A. Biphasic reward effects are characteristic of both lorcaserin and drugs of abuse: implications for treatment of substance use disorders. Behav Pharmacol 2022; 33:238-248. [PMID: 35324488 PMCID: PMC9149059 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Lorcaserin is a modestly selective agonist for 2C serotonin receptors (5-HT2CR). Despite early promising data, it recently failed to facilitate cocaine abstinence in patients and has been compared with dopamine antagonist medications (antipsychotics). Here, we review the effects of both classes on drug reinforcement. In addition to not being effective treatments for cocaine use disorder, both dopamine antagonists and lorcaserin can have biphasic effects on dopamine and reward behavior. Lower doses can cause enhanced drug taking with higher doses causing reductions. This biphasic pattern is shared with certain stimulants, opioids, and sedative-hypnotics, as well as compounds without abuse potential that include agonists for muscarinic and melatonin receptors. Additional factors associated with decreased drug taking include intermittent dosing for dopamine antagonists and use of progressive-ratio schedules for lorcaserin. Clinically relevant doses of lorcaserin were much lower than those that inhibited cocaine-reinforced behavior and can also augment this same behavior in different species. Diminished drug-reinforced behavior only occurred in animals after higher doses that are not suitable for use in patients. In conclusion, drugs of abuse and related compounds often act as biphasic modifiers of reward behavior, especially when evaluated over a broad range of doses. This property may reflect the underlying physiology of the reward system, allowing homeostatic influences on behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken W Grasing
- Substance Use Research Laboratory, Research Service, Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Kim Burnell
- Substance Use Research Laboratory, Research Service, Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri
| | - Alok De
- Substance Use Research Laboratory, Research Service, Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri
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Strickland JC, Stoops WW, Banks ML, Gipson CD. Logical fallacies and misinterpretations that hinder progress in translational addiction neuroscience. J Exp Anal Behav 2022; 117:384-403. [PMID: 35362559 PMCID: PMC9090969 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are heterogeneous and complex, making the development of translationally predictive rodent and nonhuman primate models to uncover their neurobehavioral underpinnings difficult. Neuroscience-focused outcomes have become highly prevalent, and with this, the notion that SUDs are disorders of the brain embraced as a dominant theoretical orientation to understand SUD etiology and treatment. These efforts, however, have led to few efficacious pharmacotherapies, and in some cases (as with cocaine or methamphetamine), no pharmacotherapies have translated from preclinical models for clinical use. In this theoretical commentary, we first describe the development of animal models of substance use behaviors from a historical perspective. We then define and discuss three logical fallacies including 1) circular explanation, 2) affirming the consequent, and 3) reification that can apply to developed models. We then provide three case examples in which conceptual or logical issues exist in common methods (i.e., behavioral economic demand, escalation, and reinstatement). Alternative strategies to refocus behavioral models are suggested for the field to better bridge the translational divide between animal models, the clinical condition of SUDs, and current and future regulatory pathways for intervention development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin C. Strickland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
| | | | - Matthew L. Banks
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University
| | - Cassandra D. Gipson
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington
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Abstract
This paper is the forty-third consecutive installment of the annual anthological review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system, summarizing articles published during 2020 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides and receptors as well as effects of opioid/opiate agonists and antagonists. The review is subdivided into the following specific topics: molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors (1), the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia in animals (2) and humans (3), opioid-sensitive and opioid-insensitive effects of nonopioid analgesics (4), opioid peptide and receptor involvement in tolerance and dependence (5), stress and social status (6), learning and memory (7), eating and drinking (8), drug abuse and alcohol (9), sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (10), mental illness and mood (11), seizures and neurologic disorders (12), electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (13), general activity and locomotion (14), gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (15), cardiovascular responses (16), respiration and thermoregulation (17), and immunological responses (18).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, 11367, United States.
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8
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Fletcher PJ, Li Z, Ji X, Higgins GA, Funk D, Lê A. Effects of pimavanserin and lorcaserin on alcohol self-administration and reinstatement in male and female rats. Neuropharmacology 2022; 215:109150. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Moerke MJ, Negus SS, Banks ML. Lack of effect of the nociceptin opioid peptide agonist Ro 64-6198 on pain-depressed behavior and heroin choice in rats. Drug Alcohol Depend 2022; 231:109255. [PMID: 34998256 PMCID: PMC8810604 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.109255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE One objective of the National Institutes of Health Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) initiative is to accelerate research on safer and more effective medications for both pain and opioid use disorder. Ligands that activate the nociceptin opioid peptide receptor (NOP) constitute one class of candidate drugs for both applications. The present preclinical study determined the effectiveness of the NOP agonist Ro 64-6198 to produce antinociception in a pain-depressed behavior procedure and attenuate opioid self-administration in a heroin-vs-food choice procedure. METHODS In Experiment 1, Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were equipped with microelectrodes and trained to respond for electrical brain stimulation in an intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) procedure. The potency, time course, and receptor mechanism of effects produced by R0 64-6198 alone (0.32-3.2 mg/kg) on ICSS were examined, followed by evaluation of 0.32-1.0 mg/kg Ro 64-6198 effectiveness to block lactic acid-induced depression of ICSS. In Experiment 2, rats self-administered heroin under a heroin-vs-food choice procedure during a regimen of repeated, daily intraperitoneal administration of vehicle or Ro 64-6198 (1-3.2 mg/kg/day). RESULTS Ro 64-6198 produced dose- and time-dependent ICSS depression that was blocked by the selective NOP antagonist SB612111 but not by naltrexone. Ro 64-6198 failed to block acid-induced depression of ICSS. Repeated Ro 64-6198 pretreatment also failed to attenuate heroin-vs-food choice up to doses that significantly decreased operant behavior. CONCLUSIONS These results do not support the utility of Ro 64-6198 as a stand-alone medication for either acute pain or opioid use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Jo Moerke
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA; Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - S Stevens Negus
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Matthew L Banks
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
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Banks ML, Hutsell BA, Negus SS. Contextual extinction of drug-associated discriminative stimuli fails to attenuate drug-vs-food choice in rhesus monkeys. J Exp Anal Behav 2022; 117:505-517. [PMID: 34990015 PMCID: PMC9090942 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Relapse within the context of a substance use disorder can be triggered by cues that function as discriminative stimuli to signal contingencies of drug availability and promote drug-taking behavior. Extinction procedures can weaken this association between drug-associated cues and drug-taking behavior and may reduce the probability of relapse. This study evaluated a regimen of extinction training on cocaine and heroin self-administration in rhesus monkeys under a drug-vs-food choice procedure. Behavior was initially maintained under a concurrent schedule of food (1-g food pellets; fixed-ratio 100 schedule) and cocaine injections (0-0.1 mg/kg/injection; fixed-ratio 10) (n = 4 males) or heroin injections (0-0.01 mg/kg/injection; fixed-ratio 10) (n = 3 females and 1 male) during daily 2-hr choice sessions. Subsequently, choice sessions were supplemented by daily 20-hr saline self-administration sessions for 14 consecutive days. During saline self-administration sessions, only drug-associated discriminative stimuli were presented and responding produced saline injections. Drug continued to be available during choice sessions. Prior to extinction training, both cocaine and heroin maintained dose-dependent increases in drug-vs-food choice. Exposure to 14 saline self-administration sessions failed to significantly decrease drug choice and increase food choice. These preclinical results do not support the effectiveness of extinguishing drug-associated discriminative stimuli as a nonpharmacological treatment strategy for reducing drug choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew L Banks
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Blake A Hutsell
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - S Stevens Negus
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
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11
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Negus SS, Banks ML. Confronting the challenge of failed translation in medications development for substance use disorders. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2021; 210:173264. [PMID: 34461148 PMCID: PMC8418188 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S S Negus
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America.
| | - M L Banks
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States of America
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12
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Effects of buprenorphine/lorcaserin mixtures on preference for heroin, cocaine, or saline over food using a concurrent choice procedure in rhesus monkeys. Drug Alcohol Depend 2021; 227:108991. [PMID: 34482043 PMCID: PMC8612090 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The opioid epidemic continues despite the availability of medications, including buprenorphine, for opioid use disorder (OUD); identifying novel and effective treatments is critical for decreasing the prevalence of OUD and ending this crisis. Buprenorphine alone does not markedly attenuate abuse-related effects of nonopioids. Treatment outcomes might be improved by combining buprenorphine with a second medication targeting substance use disorder (SUD), such as lorcaserin, a serotonin2C (5-HT2C) receptor selective agonist that decreases abuse-related effects of drugs from several pharmacological classes in preclinical studies. METHODS This study investigated the effectiveness of buprenorphine/lorcaserin mixtures to decrease preference for heroin or cocaine in monkeys choosing between food and i.v. infusions. RESULTS When saline was available for self-administration, monkeys chose food; when heroin or cocaine was available, monkeys dose-dependently increased choice of infusions. Noncontingent administration of heroin, cocaine, or buprenorphine before sessions increased preference for saline over food. Daily noncontingent administration of buprenorphine increased saline choice, decreased heroin choice, and increased variability across monkeys and sessions; preference for cocaine was not altered. Adding lorcaserin to daily treatment reduced variability such that choice of saline and heroin was consistently less than 20%; choice of cocaine did not change. CONCLUSIONS Because buprenorphine/lorcaserin mixtures would not likely alter abuse of cocaine, they might not be useful for treating SUDs; nevertheless, mixtures reduced variability and decreased preference for heroin, compared with buprenorphine alone, perhaps suggesting that a different drug mixture, in which buprenorphine is combined with a second, nonopioid drug, might offer advantages over treatment with buprenorphine alone.
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13
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Fredriksson I, Venniro M, Reiner DJ, Chow JJ, Bossert JM, Shaham Y. Animal Models of Drug Relapse and Craving after Voluntary Abstinence: A Review. Pharmacol Rev 2021; 73:1050-1083. [PMID: 34257149 PMCID: PMC11060480 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.120.000191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Relapse to drug use during abstinence is a defining feature of addiction. During the last several decades, this clinical scenario has been studied at the preclinical level using classic relapse/reinstatement models in which drug seeking is assessed after experimenter-imposed home-cage forced abstinence or extinction of the drug-reinforced responding in the self-administration chambers. To date, however, results from studies using rat relapse/reinstatement models have yet to result in Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for relapse prevention. The reasons for this state of affairs are complex and multifaceted, but one potential reason is that, in humans, abstinence is often self-imposed or voluntary and occurs either because the negative consequences of drug use outweigh the drug's rewarding effects or because of the availability of nondrug alternative rewards that are chosen over the drug. Based on these considerations, we and others have recently developed rat models of relapse after voluntary abstinence, achieved either by introducing adverse consequences to drug taking (punishment) or seeking (electric barrier) or by providing mutually exclusive choices between the self-administered drug and nondrug rewards (palatable food or social interaction). In this review, we provide an overview of these translationally relevant relapse models and discuss recent neuropharmacological findings from studies using these models. We also discuss sex as a biological variable, future directions, and clinical implications of results from relapse studies using voluntary abstinence models. Our main conclusion is that the neuropharmacological mechanisms controlling relapse to drug seeking after voluntary abstinence are often different from the mechanisms controlling relapse after home-cage forced abstinence or reinstatement after extinction. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This review describes recently developed rat models of relapse after voluntary abstinence, achieved either by introducing adverse consequences to drug taking or seeking or by providing mutually exclusive choices between the self-administered drug and nondrug rewards. This review discusses recent neuropharmacological findings from studies using these models and discusses future directions and clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Fredriksson
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, Maryland (I.F., M.V., D.J.R., J.J.C., J.M.B., Y.S.), and Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Marco Venniro
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, Maryland (I.F., M.V., D.J.R., J.J.C., J.M.B., Y.S.), and Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - David J Reiner
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, Maryland (I.F., M.V., D.J.R., J.J.C., J.M.B., Y.S.), and Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jonathan J Chow
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, Maryland (I.F., M.V., D.J.R., J.J.C., J.M.B., Y.S.), and Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Jennifer M Bossert
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, Maryland (I.F., M.V., D.J.R., J.J.C., J.M.B., Y.S.), and Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Yavin Shaham
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, Maryland (I.F., M.V., D.J.R., J.J.C., J.M.B., Y.S.), and Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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14
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Arout CA, Cooper ZD, Reed SC, Foltin RW, Comer SD, Levin FR, Haney M. 5HT-2C agonist lorcaserin decreases cannabis self-administration in daily cannabis smokers. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e12993. [PMID: 33389797 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
There are no FDA-approved treatments for cannabis use disorder (CUD). Preclinical research has shown that the 5HT-2C agonist lorcaserin attenuates cue-induced reinstatement of THC seeking and self-administration. The goal of this placebo-controlled, counterbalanced, within-subject human laboratory study was to examine lorcaserin's effects on cannabis intoxication and self-administration. Lorcaserin (10 mg BID) was administered during one of two 13-day inpatient phases and placebo during the other; each phase was separated by ≥7 days of washout. Inpatient phases comprised (1) standardized cannabis administration (7.0% THC) at no financial cost (intoxication), counterbalanced with (2) the option to self-administer cannabis following either 0 or 3 days of abstinence. Cognitive task performance, food intake, subjective ratings of drug effects, objective/subjective sleep measures, and tobacco cigarette use were also assessed. Fifteen normal-weight, daily cannabis users (4F, 11M) not seeking treatment for CUD completed the study. Lorcaserin significantly reduced cannabis self-administration following 0 and 3 days of cannabis abstinence and also reduced craving for cannabis during abstinence. Lorcaserin produced small but significant increases in positive cannabis ratings and body weight relative to placebo. Lorcaserin also reduced tobacco cigarette smoking on days of cannabis administration relative to placebo. During abstinence, subjective but not objective measures of sleep quality worsened during lorcaserin maintenance. Overall, lorcaserin's ability to decrease drug taking and cannabis craving in nontreatment-seeking cannabis users supports further investigation of 5HT-2C agonists as potential pharmacotherapies for CUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline A. Arout
- Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute Columbia University Irving Medical Center New York NY USA
| | - Ziva D. Cooper
- UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Stephanie Collins Reed
- Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute Columbia University Irving Medical Center New York NY USA
| | - Richard W. Foltin
- Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute Columbia University Irving Medical Center New York NY USA
| | - Sandra D. Comer
- Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute Columbia University Irving Medical Center New York NY USA
| | - Frances R. Levin
- Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute Columbia University Irving Medical Center New York NY USA
| | - Margaret Haney
- Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute Columbia University Irving Medical Center New York NY USA
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15
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Campbell EJ, Bonomo Y, Pastor A, Collins L, Norman A, Galettis P, Johnstone J, Lawrence AJ. The 5-HT 2C receptor as a therapeutic target for alcohol and methamphetamine use disorders: A pilot study in treatment-seeking individuals. Pharmacol Res Perspect 2021; 9:e00767. [PMID: 33929084 PMCID: PMC8085921 DOI: 10.1002/prp2.767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) are prevalent and have high adverse impacts on both the individual and society. Current treatment strategies for these disorders are ineffective at a population level. Lorcaserin, a 5‐HT2C receptor agonist, has shown potential at reducing the symptoms of substance use disorder. This pilot study (initiated prior to market withdrawal) examined feasibility and safety of lorcaserin treatment in people undergoing residential detoxification and treatment for AUD and MUD. This was an open label pilot study of lorcaserin where participants (n = 10 AUD; n = 8 MUD) received 10‐mg lorcaserin daily for 4 days then twice daily for 1 month. Primary outcome measures included recruitment and retention rate, incidence of treatment‐emergent events, incidence of methamphetamine or alcohol withdrawal‐related events, heart rate, and blood pressure. Secondary measures included pharmacokinetic data and self‐reported alcohol or methamphetamine use, craving, and psychological distress. AUD participants were recruited faster and had a greater retention rate compared with MUD participants. Lorcaserin did not alter vital signs, was well tolerated, and had a similar pharmacokinetic profile to individuals with obesity. Lorcaserin reduced self‐reported alcohol and amphetamine‐type substance use and craving in AUD and MUD participants, respectively. Self‐reported psychological health also improved over the treatment period for all participants. Despite the pilot nature of this study, our data support the notion of 5‐HT2C receptors as a therapeutic target for drug and alcohol abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin J Campbell
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Yvonne Bonomo
- Department of Addiction Medicine, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Adam Pastor
- Department of Addiction Medicine, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Lisa Collins
- Department of Addiction Medicine, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Amanda Norman
- Department of Addiction Medicine, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Peter Galettis
- School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Janice Johnstone
- School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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16
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Jones JD, Varshneya NB, Hudzik TJ, Huhn AS. Improving Translational Research Outcomes for Opioid Use Disorder Treatments. CURRENT ADDICTION REPORTS 2021; 8:109-121. [PMID: 37377692 PMCID: PMC10299742 DOI: 10.1007/s40429-020-00353-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of Review Pharmacotherapies are the most effective means of reducing the harms associated with opioid use disorder (OUD). Translational research seeking to develop novel medications to treat OUD has been challenging due to the complex etiology of addiction. Preclinical outcome measures are often behavioral, and it is difficult, if not impossible, to fully mirror the various emotional and cognitive processes that motivate opioid use in humans. The goal of the current narrative review was to summarize the translational progression of three potential medications for OUD, which had varying levels of success. Recent Findings Memantine, lorcaserin, and lofexidine all showed promise in preclinical studies; however, only lofexidine was able to consistently replicate these findings in human subjects, and receive FDA approval. It was the authors' objective to use this review to identify areas of needed improvement in translational research for OUD. Summary Preclinical studies vary significantly in their ability to forecast effectiveness in clinical trials. Among the various preclinical models, suppression of opioid self-administration appears to have the best predictive validity. As they model a mostly physiological phenomenon, preclinical assessments of opioid withdrawal also appear to have high predictive validity. In our review of the literature, the authors noted numerous examples of clinical trials that were underpowered, lack precision, and proper outcomes. Better-validated preclinical targets and improved design of proof-of-concept human studies should allow investigators to more efficiently develop and test medications for OUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jermaine D. Jones
- Division on Substance Use Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, and Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Neil B. Varshneya
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, 410 N 12th St, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Thomas J. Hudzik
- In Vitro In Vivo Translation, NonClinical Safety, GlaxoSmithKline, 1250 S. Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Andrew S. Huhn
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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17
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Levin FR, Mariani JJ, Pavlicova M, Choi CJ, Basaraba C, Mahony AL, Brooks DJ, Naqvi N, Bisaga A. Lorcaserin treatment for extended-release naltrexone induction and retention for opioid use disorder individuals: A pilot, placebo-controlled randomized trial. Drug Alcohol Depend 2021; 219:108482. [PMID: 33418204 PMCID: PMC7856237 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a significant public health problem associated with severe morbidity and mortality. While effective pharmacotherapies are available, limitations exist with each. Induction onto extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) is more difficult than initiation of buprenorphine or methadone, even in inpatient settings, as it is recommended that patients remain abstinent for at least 7 days prior to initiating XR-NTX. The purpose of this trial was to determine if lorcaserin, a 5HT2c agonist, improves outpatient XR-NTX induction rates. METHODS An 8-week trial beginning with a brief detoxification period and induction onto XR-NTX. Sixty participants with OUD were enrolled in the trial, with 49 participants at the initiation of detoxification randomized to lorcaserin or placebo for 39 days. Additionally, ancillary medications were provided. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants inducted onto the first XR-NTX injection. Secondary outcomes were withdrawal severity (measured by COWS and SOWS) prior to the first injection and the proportion of participants receiving the second XR-NTX injection. RESULTS The proportion of participants inducted onto the first (lorcaserin: 36 %; placebo: 44 %; p = .67) and the second XR-NTX injection (lorcaserin: 27 %; placebo: 31 %; p = .77) was not significantly different between treatment arms. Prior to the first injection, withdrawal scores did not significantly differ between treatment arms over time (treatment*time interaction COWS: p = .11; SOWS: p = .39). CONCLUSIONS Lorcaserin failed to improve outpatient XR-NTX induction rates. Although this study is small, the findings do not support the use of lorcaserin in promoting induction onto XR-NTX or in mitigating withdrawal symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances R. Levin
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division on Substance Use Disorders, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA,Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - John J. Mariani
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division on Substance Use Disorders, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA,Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Martina Pavlicova
- Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - C. Jean Choi
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Mental Health Data Science, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Cale Basaraba
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Mental Health Data Science, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Amy L. Mahony
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division on Substance Use Disorders, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Daniel J. Brooks
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division on Substance Use Disorders, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Nasir Naqvi
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division on Substance Use Disorders, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA,Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Adam Bisaga
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division on Substance Use Disorders, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA,Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
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18
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Negus SS, Banks ML. Learning from lorcaserin: lessons from the negative clinical trial of lorcaserin to treat cocaine use disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1967-1973. [PMID: 32839526 PMCID: PMC7547654 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00815-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Stevens Negus
- grid.224260.00000 0004 0458 8737Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298 USA
| | - Matthew L. Banks
- grid.224260.00000 0004 0458 8737Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298 USA
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19
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Improving translation of animal models of addiction and relapse by reverse translation. Nat Rev Neurosci 2020; 21:625-643. [PMID: 33024318 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-020-0378-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Critical features of human addiction are increasingly being incorporated into complementary animal models, including escalation of drug intake, punished drug seeking and taking, intermittent drug access, choice between drug and non-drug rewards, and assessment of individual differences based on criteria in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). Combined with new technologies, these models advanced our understanding of brain mechanisms of drug self-administration and relapse, but these mechanistic gains have not led to improvements in addiction treatment. This problem is not unique to addiction neuroscience, but it is an increasing source of disappointment and calls to regroup. Here we first summarize behavioural and neurobiological results from the animal models mentioned above. We then propose a reverse translational approach, whose goal is to develop models that mimic successful treatments: opioid agonist maintenance, contingency management and the community-reinforcement approach. These reverse-translated 'treatments' may provide an ecologically relevant platform from which to discover new circuits, test new medications and improve translation.
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20
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Huskinson SL. Unpredictability as a modulator of drug self-administration: Relevance for substance-use disorders. Behav Processes 2020; 178:104156. [PMID: 32526314 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Drug self-administration has been regarded as a gold-standard preclinical model of addiction and substance-use disorder (SUD). However, investigators are becoming increasingly aware, that certain aspects of addiction or SUDs experienced by humans are not accurately captured in our preclinical self-administration models. The current review will focus on two such aspects of current preclinical drug self-administration models: 1) Predictable vs. unpredictable drug access in terms of the time and effort put into obtaining drugs (i.e., response requirement) and drug quality (i.e., amount) and 2) rich vs. lean access to drugs. Some behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms that could contribute to excessive allocation of behavior toward drug-seeking and drug-taking at the expense of engaging in nondrug-related activities are discussed, and some directions for future research are identified. Based on the experiments reviewed, lean and unpredictable drug access could worsen drug-seeking and drug-taking behavior in individuals with SUDs. Once more fully explored, this area of research will help determine whether and how unpredictable and lean cost requirements affect drug self-administration in preclinical laboratory studies with nonhuman subjects and will help determine whether incorporating these conditions in current self-administration models will increase their predictive validity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally L Huskinson
- Division of Neurobiology and Behavior Research, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500N. State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, United States.
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21
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Townsend EA, Bremer PT, Faunce KE, Negus SS, Jaster AM, Robinson HL, Janda KD, Banks ML. Evaluation of a Dual Fentanyl/Heroin Vaccine on the Antinociceptive and Reinforcing Effects of a Fentanyl/Heroin Mixture in Male and Female Rats. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020; 11:1300-1310. [PMID: 32271538 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioid-targeted vaccines represent an emerging treatment strategy for opioid use disorder. To determine whether concurrent vaccination against two commonly abused opioids (fentanyl and heroin) would confer broader spectrum opioid coverage, the current study evaluated dual fentanyl/heroin conjugate vaccine effectiveness using a warm water tail-withdrawal and a fentanyl/heroin-vs-food choice procedure in male and female rats across a 105-day observation period. Vaccine administration generated titers of high-affinity antibodies to both fentanyl and heroin sufficient to decrease the antinociceptive potency of fentanyl (25-fold), heroin (4.6-fold), and a 1:27 fentanyl/heroin mixture (7.5-fold). Vaccination did not alter the antinociceptive potency of the structurally dissimilar opioid agonist methadone. For comparison, continuous treatment with a naltrexone dose (0.032 mg/kg/h) shown previously to produce clinically relevant plasma-naltrexone levels decreased the antinociceptive potency of fentanyl, heroin, and the 1:27 fentanyl/heroin mixture by approximately 20-fold. Naltrexone treatment also shifted the potency of 1:27 fentanyl/heroin mixture in a drug-vs-food choice self-administration procedure 4.3-fold. In contrast, vaccination did not attenuate 1:27 fentanyl/heroin mixture self-administration in the drug-vs-food choice procedure. These data demonstrate that a vaccine can simultaneously attenuate the thermal antinociceptive effects of two structurally dissimilar opioids. However, the vaccine did not attenuate fentanyl/heroin mixture self-administration, suggesting a greater magnitude of vaccine responsiveness is required to decrease opioid reinforcement relative to antinociception.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Andrew Townsend
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States
| | - Paul T. Bremer
- Departments of Chemistry and Immunology and Microbial Science, Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, Worm Institute for Research and Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Kaycee E. Faunce
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States
| | - S. Stevens Negus
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States
| | - Alaina M. Jaster
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States
| | - Hannah L. Robinson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States
| | - Kim D. Janda
- Departments of Chemistry and Immunology and Microbial Science, Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, Worm Institute for Research and Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Matthew L. Banks
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia 23298, United States
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