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Jones JD, Arout CA, Luba R, Murugesan D, Madera G, Gorsuch L, Schusterman R, Martinez S. The influence of drug class on reward in substance use disorders. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 240:173771. [PMID: 38670466 PMCID: PMC11162950 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
In the United States, the societal costs associated with drug use surpass $500 billion annually. The rewarding and reinforcing properties that drive the use of these addictive substances are typically examined concerning the neurobiological effects responsible for their abuse potential. In this review, terms such as "abuse potential," "drug," and "addictive properties" are used due to their relevance to the methodological, theoretical, and conceptual framework for understanding the phenomenon of drug-taking behavior and the associated body of preclinical and clinical literature. The use of these terms is not intended to cast aspersions on individuals with substance use disorders (SUD). Understanding what motivates substance use has been a focus of SUD research for decades. Much of this corpus of work has focused on the shared effects of each drug class to increase dopaminergic transmission within the central reward pathways of the brain, or the "reward center." However, the precise influence of each drug class on dopamine signaling, and the extent thereof, differs considerably. Furthermore, the aforementioned substances have effects on several neurobiological targets that mediate and modulate their addictive properties. The current manuscript sought to review the influence of drug class on the rewarding effects of each of the major pharmacological classes of addictive drugs (i.e., psychostimulants, opioids, nicotine, alcohol, and cannabinoids). Our review suggests that even subtle differences in drug effects can result in significant variability in the subjective experience of the drug, altering rewarding and other reinforcing effects. Additionally, this review will argue that reward (i.e., the attractive and motivational property of a stimulus) alone is not sufficient to explain the abuse liability of these substances. Instead, abuse potential is best examined as a function of both positive and negative reinforcing drug effects (i.e., stimuli that the subject will work to attain and stimuli that the subject will work to end or avoid, respectively). Though reward is central to drug use, the factors that motivate and maintain drug taking are varied and complex, with much to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jermaine D Jones
- Division on Substance Use Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Caroline A Arout
- Division on Substance Use Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Rachel Luba
- Division on Substance Use Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Dillon Murugesan
- CUNY School of Medicine, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Gabriela Madera
- Division on Substance Use Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Liam Gorsuch
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of British Columbia, 430-5950 University Blvd., Vancouver V6T 1Z3, BC, Canada
| | - Rebecca Schusterman
- Division on Substance Use Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Suky Martinez
- Division on Substance Use Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
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Doyle WS, Huskinson SL. Environmental Uncertainty and Substance Use Disorders: A Behavior Analytic Perspective. POLICY INSIGHTS FROM THE BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN SCIENCES 2023; 10:96-103. [PMID: 38550572 PMCID: PMC10978010 DOI: 10.1177/23727322231152451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
Substance use disorder (SUD) and drug overdose deaths represent major economic, health, and safety issues in the United States. The psychology of uncertainty provides a mechanism for understanding, reducing, and controlling the damage from substance misuse. Illicit drugs (such as heroin or cocaine) are uncertain in their availability, quality, and acquisition (the time and effort required to obtain them) compared with nondrug-related alternatives (such as consumable goods, hobbies, or paychecks). Furthermore, the severity and likelihood of negative outcomes associated with drug use likewise are uncertain. Such uncertainties worsen substance use outcomes. The current review conveys what is known about the impact of uncertainty on substance use: laboratory investigations of uncertain time and effort required to obtain a substance and uncertain drug quality show uncertainty exacerbates harm. Furthermore, uncertain negative outcomes are not likely to deter substance use in individuals with a SUD. Finally, several policy implications include access to agonist medications; creating a safer drug supply; access to clean syringes/needles, naloxone, and safe-injection sites; and ending incarceration for substance use.
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Affiliation(s)
- William S. Doyle
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS USA
| | - Sally L. Huskinson
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS USA
- Division of Neurobiology and Behavior Research, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
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Du H, Lai M, Zhuang D, Fu D, Zhou Y, Chen S, Wang F, Xu Z, Liu H, Wang Y, Xu P, Zhou W. A comparison of reinforcing effectiveness and drug-seeking reinstatement of 2-fluorodeschloroketamine and ketamine in self-administered rats. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:972798. [PMID: 36172262 PMCID: PMC9510746 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.972798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
2-Fluorodeschloroketamine (2F-DCK), a structural analog of ketamine, has been reported to cause impaired consciousness, agitation, and hallucination in abuse cases. It has similar reinforcing and discriminative effects as ketamine. However, the reinforcing efficacy and drug-seeking reinstatement of this analog have not been clarified to date. In this study, the effectiveness of 2F-DCK and ketamine was compared using a behavioral economics demand curve. The reinstatement of 2F-DCK- and ketamine-seeking behaviors induced by either conditioned cues or self-priming was also analyzed. Rats were intravenously self-administered 2F-DCK and ketamine at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg/infusion under a reinforcing schedule of fixed ratio 1 (FR1) with 4 h of daily training for at least 10 consecutive days. The elasticity coefficient parameter α and the essential value of the demand curve in the two groups were similar. Both groups of rats showed significant drug-seeking behavior induced either by conditional cues or by 2F-DCK and ketamine priming. Moreover, the α parameter was inversely related to the degree of reinstatement induced by cues or drug priming in both groups. In total, the expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (p-CREB) in the nucleus accumbens in both extinguished and reinstated rats were significantly lower than those in the control. The expression of total Akt, glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) also decreased, but p-Akt, p-GSK-3β, p-mTOR, and p-ERK levels increased in both extinguished and reinstated rats. This is the first study to demonstrate that 2F-DCK has similar reinforcing efficacy, effectiveness, and post-withdrawal cravings as ketamine after repeated use. These data suggest that the downregulation of CREB/BDNF and the upregulation of the Akt/mTOR/GSK-3β signaling pathway in the nucleus accumbens may be involved in ketamine or 2F-DCK relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Du
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction Research, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Miaojun Lai
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction Research, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Dingding Zhuang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction Research, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Dan Fu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction Research, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Yiying Zhou
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction Research, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Shanshan Chen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction Research, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Fangmin Wang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction Research, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Zemin Xu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction Research, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Huifen Liu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction Research, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Youmei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Drug Monitoring and Control, Drug Intelligence and Forensic Center, Ministry of Public Security, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Xu
- Key Laboratory of Drug Monitoring and Control, Drug Intelligence and Forensic Center, Ministry of Public Security, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Peng Xu
| | - Wenhua Zhou
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction Research, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- Wenhua Zhou
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Relative reinforcing effects of dibutylone, ethylone, and N-ethylpentylone: self-administration and behavioral economics analysis in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:2875-2884. [PMID: 35716192 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06173-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Following the emergence of methylone as one of the most popular synthetic cathinones, this group of novel psychoactive substance with names ending in "-lone," such as dibutylone, ethylone, and N-ethylpentylone, appeared on the recreational drug market. The pharmacological mechanisms of dibutylone, ethylone, and N-ethylpentylone are well understood; however, to date, the reinforcing effects of dibutylone, ethylone, and N-ethylpentylone are still unclear. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to examine the self-administration of dibutylone, ethylone, and N-ethylpentylone relative to methamphetamine (METH) and to quantify their relative reinforcing effectiveness using behavioral economic analysis. METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to self-administer METH (0.05 mg/kg) under a fixed-ratio 1 (FR1) schedule. Following the training, dose substitution was used to generate full dose-response curves for METH and the three synthetic cathinones. According to the first doses on the descending limb of the dose-response curves, rats were trained to self-administer METH (0.05 mg/kg), dibutylone (0.1 mg·kg-1·infusion-1), ethylone (0.4 mg·kg-1·infusion-1), or N-ethylpentylone (0.1 mg·kg-1·infusion-1) under an FR1 schedule, and a behavioral economic evaluation of their reinforcing effectiveness was then performed. RESULTS Dibutylone, ethylone, and N-ethylpentylone functioned as reinforcers, and the inverted U-shaped dose-response curves were obtained. The rank order of reinforcing potency in this procedure was METH > N-ethylpentylone ≈ dibutylone > ethylone. In the economic analysis, the comparisons of the essential value (EV) transformed from demand elasticity (α) indicated that the rank order of efficacy as reinforcers was METH (EV = 7.93) ≈ dibutylone (EV = 7.81) > N-ethylpentylone (EV = 5.21) ≈ ethylone (EV = 4.19). CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrated that dibutylone, ethylone, and N-ethylpentylone function as reinforcers and have addictive potential, suggesting that the modification of α-alkyl and N-alkyl side chains may affect their reinforcing efficacy.
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Sensitization-based risk for substance abuse in vulnerable individuals with ADHD: Review and re-examination of evidence. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 135:104575. [PMID: 35151770 PMCID: PMC9893468 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Evidence of sensitization following stimulants administration in humans is just emerging, which prevents reaching more definitive conclusions in favor or against a purported protective role of stimulant treatments for ADHD for the development of substance use disorders. Existing evidence from both animal and human research suggest that stimulants produce neurophysiological changes in the brain reward system, some of which could be persistent. This could be relevant in choosing optimal treatments for young patients with ADHD who have additional clinical risk factors for substance abuse (e.g. conduct disorder (CD) and/or familial addictions). Here we stipulate that, while the majority of youth with ADHD greatly benefit from treatments with stimulants, there might be a subpopulation of individuals whose neurobiological profiles may confer risk for heightened vulnerability to the effects of stimulants on the responsiveness of the brain reward system. We propose that focused human research is needed to elucidate the unknown effects of prolonged stimulant exposure on the neurophysiology of the brain reward system in young patients with ADHD.
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Effects of β-Phenylethylamine on Psychomotor, Rewarding, and Reinforcing Behaviors and Affective State: The Role of Dopamine D1 Receptors. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22179485. [PMID: 34502393 PMCID: PMC8430604 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Beta-phenylethylamine (β-PEA) is a well-known and widespread endogenous neuroactive trace amine found throughout the central nervous system in humans. In this study, we demonstrated the effects of β-PEA on psychomotor, rewarding, and reinforcing behaviors and affective state using the open-field test, conditioned place preference (CPP), self-administration, and ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) paradigms. We also investigated the role of the dopamine (DA) D1 receptor in the behavioral effects of β-PEA in rodents. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western immunoblotting, we also determined the DA concentration and the DA-related protein levels in the dorsal striatum of mice administered with acute β-PEA. The results showed that acute β-PEA increased stereotypic behaviors such as circling and head-twitching responses in mice. In the CPP experiment, β-PEA increased place preference in mice. In the self-administration test, β-PEA significantly enhanced self-administration during a 2 h session under fixed ratio (FR) schedules (FR1 and FR3) and produced a higher breakpoint during a 6 h session under progressive ratio schedules of reinforcement in rats. In addition, acute β-PEA increased 50-kHz USV calls in rats. Furthermore, acute β-PEA administration increased DA concentration and p-DAT and TH expression in the dorsal striatum of mice. Finally, pretreatment with SCH23390, a DA D1 receptor antagonist, attenuated β-PEA-induced circling behavior and β-PEA-taking behavior in rodents. Taken together, these findings suggest that β-PEA has rewarding and reinforcing effects and psychoactive properties, which induce psychomotor behaviors and a positive affective state by activating the DA D1 receptor in the dorsal striatum.
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Xu P, Lai M, Fu D, Liu H, Wang Y, Shen H, Zhou W. Reinforcing and discriminative-stimulus effects of two pyrrolidine-containing synthetic cathinone derivatives in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2021; 203:173128. [PMID: 33515585 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173128] [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: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The molecular and behavioral aspects of α-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (α-PVP) have been characterized; however, how the structural modification of α-PVP affects its abuse potential is still unknown. In this study, we investigated the abuse potential of two pyrrolidinylated second-generation cathinones:4-chloro-α-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (4cl-α-PVP) and 4-chloro-α-pyrrolidinopropiophenone (4cl-α-PPP). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to self-administer methamphetamine (METH, 0.05 mg·kg-1·infusion-1), α-PVP (0.05 mg·kg-1·infusion-1), 4cl-α-PVP (0.05 mg·kg-1·infusion-1), and 4cl-α-PPP (0.5 mg·kg-1·infusion-1) under a fixed ratio (FR) 1 reinforcement schedule for 10 sessions. The discriminative-stimulus effect of METH (0.8 mg/kg) from saline was tested under an FR10 schedule of food delivery. α-PVP, 4cl-α-PVP and 4cl-α-PPP produced reinforcement behaviors and presented an inverted U-shaped dose effect. The reinforcing potency was displayed with a rank order of α-PVP (0.029 mg·kg-1·infusion-1) > METH (0.040 mg·kg-1·infusion-1) > 4cl-α-PVP (0.094 mg·kg-1·infusion-1) > 4cl-α-PPP (0.51 mg·kg-1·infusion-1). All three drugs were fully substituted for the discriminative-stimulus effects of METH in rats. The substitution potency for discriminative-stimulus effects of α-PVP (ED50 = 0.4 mg/kg) was approximately equal to that of METH (ED50 = 0.3 mg/kg), while the discriminative potency of 4cl-α-PVP (ED50 = 1.0 mg/kg) and 4cl-α-PPP (ED50 = 5 mg/kg) was approximately 3 and 16-fold less than that of METH. The rank order of potency was α-PVP ≈ METH >4cl-α-PVP > 4cl-α-PPP. The present data demonstrated that 4cl-α-PVP and 4cl-α-PPP produced reinforcing effects and fully and dose-dependently substituted for the subjective effects of METH, suggesting that both 4cl-α-PVP and 4cl-α-PPP have abuse potential that may be similar to METH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Xu
- Key Laboratory of Drug Monitoring and Control, Drug Intelligence and Forensic Center, Ministry of Public Security, Beijing 100093, PR China
| | - Miaojun Lai
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315201, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Dan Fu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315201, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Huifen Liu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315201, Zhejiang Province, PR China
| | - Youmei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Drug Monitoring and Control, Drug Intelligence and Forensic Center, Ministry of Public Security, Beijing 100093, PR China
| | - Haowei Shen
- Faculty of Physiology & Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang Province, PR China.
| | - Wenhua Zhou
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315201, Zhejiang Province, PR China.
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Ryu IS, Yoon SS, Choi MJ, Lee YE, Kim JS, Kim WH, Cheong JH, Kim HJ, Jang C, Lee YS, Steffensen SC, Ka M, Woo DH, Jang EY, Seo J. The potent psychomotor, rewarding and reinforcing properties of 3-fluoromethamphetamine in rodents. Addict Biol 2020; 25:e12846. [PMID: 31797481 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
3-fluoromethamphetamine (3-FMA), a derivative of methamphetamine (METH), produces behavioral impairment and deficits in dopaminergic transmission in the striatum of mice. The abuse potential of 3-FMA has not been fully characterized. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of 3-FMA on locomotor activity as well as its rewarding and reinforcing properties in the conditioned place preference (CPP) and self-administration procedures. Intravenous (i.v.) administration of 3-FMA (0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg) significantly increased locomotor activity in a dose-dependent manner in rats. In the CPP procedure, intraperitoneal administration of 3-FMA (10 and 30 mg/kg) produced a significant alteration in place preference in mice. In the self-administration paradigms, 3-FMA showed drug-taking behavior at the dose of 0.1 mg/kg/infusion (i.v.) during 2 hr sessions under fixed ratio schedules and high breakpoints at the dose of 0.3 and 1.0 mg/kg/infusion (i.v.) during 6 hr sessions under progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement in rats. A priming injection of 3-FMA (0.4 mg/kg, i.v.), METH (0.2 mg/kg, i.v.), or cocaine (2.0 mg/kg, i.v.) reinstated 3-FMA-seeking behavior after an extinction period in 3-FMA-trained rats during 2 hr session. Taken together, these findings demonstrate robust psychomotor, rewarding and reinforcing properties of 3-FMA, which may underlie its potential for compulsive use in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- In Soo Ryu
- Research Center for Convergence Toxicology Korea Institute of Toxicology Daejeon South Korea
| | - Seong Shoon Yoon
- Research Center for Convergence Toxicology Korea Institute of Toxicology Daejeon South Korea
| | - Mee Jung Choi
- Research Center for Convergence Toxicology Korea Institute of Toxicology Daejeon South Korea
| | - Young Eun Lee
- Research Center for Convergence Toxicology Korea Institute of Toxicology Daejeon South Korea
| | - Ji Sun Kim
- Research Center for Convergence Toxicology Korea Institute of Toxicology Daejeon South Korea
| | - Woo Hyun Kim
- Research Center for Convergence Toxicology Korea Institute of Toxicology Daejeon South Korea
| | - Jae Hoon Cheong
- Uimyung Research Institute for Neuroscience, School of Pharmacy Sahmyook University Seoul South Korea
| | - Hee Jin Kim
- Uimyung Research Institute for Neuroscience, School of Pharmacy Sahmyook University Seoul South Korea
| | - Choon‐Gon Jang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy Sungkyunkwan University Suwon South Korea
| | - Yong Sup Lee
- Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy Kyung Hee University Seoul South Korea
| | - Scott C. Steffensen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Brigham Young University Provo UT USA
| | - Minhan Ka
- Research Center for Convergence Toxicology Korea Institute of Toxicology Daejeon South Korea
| | - Dong Ho Woo
- Research Center for Convergence Toxicology Korea Institute of Toxicology Daejeon South Korea
| | - Eun Young Jang
- Research Center for Convergence Toxicology Korea Institute of Toxicology Daejeon South Korea
| | - Joung‐Wook Seo
- Research Center for Convergence Toxicology Korea Institute of Toxicology Daejeon South Korea
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Ryu IS, Kim OH, Lee YE, Kim JS, Li ZH, Kim TW, Lim RN, Lee YJ, Cheong JH, Kim HJ, Lee YS, Steffensen SC, Lee BH, Seo JW, Jang EY. The Abuse Potential of Novel Synthetic Phencyclidine Derivative 1-(1-(4-Fluorophenyl)Cyclohexyl)Piperidine (4'-F-PCP) in Rodents. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21134631. [PMID: 32610694 PMCID: PMC7369973 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21134631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The dissociative anesthetic phencyclidine (PCP) and PCP derivatives, including 4′-F-PCP, are illegally sold and abused worldwide for recreational and non-medical uses. The psychopharmacological properties and abuse potential of 4′-F-PCP have not been fully characterized. In this study, we evaluated the psychomotor, rewarding, and reinforcing properties of 4′-F-PCP using the open-field test, conditioned place preference (CPP), and self-administration paradigms in rodents. Using Western immunoblotting, we also investigated the expression of dopamine (DA)-related proteins and DA-receptor-mediated downstream signaling cascades in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of 4′-F-PCP-self-administering rats. Intraperitoneal administration of 10 mg/kg 4′-F-PCP significantly increased locomotor and rearing activities and increased CPP in mice. Intravenous administration of 1.0 mg/kg/infusion of 4′-F-PCP significantly enhanced self-administration during a 2 h session under fixed ratio schedules, showed a higher breakpoint during a 6 h session under progressive ratio schedules of reinforcement, and significantly altered the expression of DA transporter and DA D1 receptor in the NAc of rats self-administering 1.0 mg/kg 4′-F-PCP. Additionally, the expression of phosphorylated (p) ERK, pCREB, c-Fos, and FosB/ΔFosB in the NAc was significantly enhanced by 1.0 mg/kg 4′-F-PCP self-administration. Taken together, these findings suggest that 4′-F-PCP has a high potential for abuse, given its robust psychomotor, rewarding, and reinforcing properties via activation of DAergic neurotransmission and the downstream signaling pathways in the NAc.
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Affiliation(s)
- In Soo Ryu
- Pharmacology and Drug Abuse Research Group, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Oc-Hee Kim
- Pharmacology and Drug Abuse Research Group, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Young Eun Lee
- Pharmacology and Drug Abuse Research Group, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Ji Sun Kim
- Pharmacology and Drug Abuse Research Group, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Zhan-Hui Li
- Pharmacology and Drug Abuse Research Group, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Tae Wan Kim
- Pharmacology and Drug Abuse Research Group, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Ri-Na Lim
- Pharmacology and Drug Abuse Research Group, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Young Ju Lee
- Pharmacology and Drug Abuse Research Group, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Jae Hoon Cheong
- Uimyung Research Institute for Neuroscience, School of Pharmacy, Sahmyook University, Seoul 01795, Korea
| | - Hee Jin Kim
- Uimyung Research Institute for Neuroscience, School of Pharmacy, Sahmyook University, Seoul 01795, Korea
| | - Yong Sup Lee
- Department of Life and Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea
| | - Scott C Steffensen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Bong Hyo Lee
- Department of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Acupoint, College of Korean Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Daegu 42158, Korea
| | - Joung-Wook Seo
- Pharmacology and Drug Abuse Research Group, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
| | - Eun Young Jang
- Pharmacology and Drug Abuse Research Group, Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon 34114, Korea
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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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Presynaptic dopamine function measured with [ 18F]fluorodopa and L-DOPA effects on impulsive choice. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17927. [PMID: 31784559 PMCID: PMC6884626 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54329-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
We previously reported that L-DOPA effects on reward-based decision-making in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study were consistent with an inverted U-shaped function whereby both low and high extremes of dopamine signaling are associated with high-impulsive choice. To test this hypothesis, we performed [18F]DOPA positron emission tomography in 60 of the 87 participants in that study, and measured the effective distribution volume ratio (EDVR) of [18F]DOPA influx rate to [18F]dopamine washout rate, an index of presynaptic dopaminergic function. Participants with higher baseline EDVR self-reported lower impulsivity, and discounted rewards as a function of delay more strongly after receiving L-DOPA, whereas the opposite was detected for those with lower baseline EDVR. Our findings support a relationship of striatal dopaminergic activity to trait impulsivity, and the view that there is a non-linear, possibly inverted U-shaped relationship of striatal dopaminergic function with delay discounting. Individuals with optimal dopamine signaling would become more impulsive when receiving dopamine-enhancing drugs, whereas those with suboptimal dopaminergic signaling would benefit and exhibit less impulsive choice. Consideration of differences in endogenous dopamine signaling and possibly also other neurotransmitter activity may be crucial to advance understanding of the neurobiochemical mechanisms of impulsive decision-making and related mental disorders.
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Smith SL, Dean RL, Todtenkopf MS, Heal DJ. Investigation of the reinforcing potential of samidorphan and naltrexone by fixed and progressive ratio intravenous self-administration testing in heroin-maintained rats. J Psychopharmacol 2019; 33:383-391. [PMID: 30676189 DOI: 10.1177/0269881118822111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Samidorphan is a novel μ-opioid antagonist with low intrinsic activity at κ- and δ-opioid receptors. AIMS Because samidorphan is central nervous system-active, we investigated whether samidorphan (13.6, 40.8, 68 μg/kg/injection) served as a positive reinforcer in rats trained to self-administer heroin on a fixed ratio-5 schedule. Samidorphan's relative reinforcing effect was evaluated by progressive ratio/break-point determination. Naltrexone (13.6, 40.8, 68 μg/kg/injection) and heroin (7.5, 15, 25 μg/kg/injection) were comparators. RESULTS All heroin doses maintained self-administration on fixed ratio-5 and progressive ratio/break-points at levels significantly greater than saline. Samidorphan and naltrexone had similar profiles on fixed ratio-5 with one samidorphan dose serving as a positive reinforcer and one naltrexone dose showing a strong trend ( p=0.053) for positive reinforcement. The numbers of injections of every samidorphan and naltrexone dose were significantly lower than all heroin doses. The numbers of self-administered samidorphan and naltrexone injections/session on fixed ratio-5 were not significantly different from one another. The mean inter-injection intervals for heroin were significantly shorter than for saline, whereas those of samidorphan and naltrexone were not. Progressive ratio break-points for samidorphan and naltrexone were not different from saline except for the highest dose of samidorphan. In addition, the progressive ratio break-points for samidorphan were not significantly different from those of naltrexone and were significantly lower than heroin. The samidorphan unit-doses evaluated in self-administration yielded plasma concentrations ranging between 25-109% and 10-45% of the maximum concentration values in humans. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the profiles of samidorphan and naltrexone, which has no abuse liability, were similar in this model.
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Bolin BL, Alcorn JL, Reynolds AR, Lile JA, Stoops WW, Rush CR. Human Drug Discrimination: Elucidating the Neuropharmacology of Commonly Abused Illicit Drugs. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2019; 39:261-295. [PMID: 27272070 PMCID: PMC5461212 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2016_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Drug-discrimination procedures empirically evaluate the control that internal drug states have over behavior. They provide a highly selective method to investigate the neuropharmacological underpinnings of the interoceptive effects of drugs in vivo. As a result, drug discrimination has been one of the most widely used assays in the field of behavioral pharmacology. Drug-discrimination procedures have been adapted for use with humans and are conceptually similar to preclinical drug-discrimination techniques in that a behavior is differentially reinforced contingent on the presence or absence of a specific interoceptive drug stimulus. This chapter provides a basic overview of human drug-discrimination procedures and reviews the extant literature concerning the use of these procedures to elucidate the underlying neuropharmacological mechanisms of commonly abused illicit drugs (i.e., stimulants, opioids, and cannabis) in humans. This chapter is not intended to review every available study that used drug-discrimination procedures in humans. Instead, when possible, exemplary studies that used a stimulant, opioid, or Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (the primary psychoactive constituent of cannabis) to assess the discriminative-stimulus effects of drugs in humans are reviewed for illustrative purposes. We conclude by commenting on the current state and future of human drug-discrimination research.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Levi Bolin
- Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 140 Medical Behavioral Science Building, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, USA
| | - Joseph L Alcorn
- Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 140 Medical Behavioral Science Building, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, USA
| | - Anna R Reynolds
- Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 140 Medical Behavioral Science Building, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, USA
| | - Joshua A Lile
- Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 140 Medical Behavioral Science Building, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, 110 Kastle Hall, Lexington, KY, 40506-0044, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 3470 Blazer Parkway, Lexington, KY, 40509, USA
| | - William W Stoops
- Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 140 Medical Behavioral Science Building, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, 110 Kastle Hall, Lexington, KY, 40506-0044, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 3470 Blazer Parkway, Lexington, KY, 40509, USA
| | - Craig R Rush
- Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 140 Medical Behavioral Science Building, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, 110 Kastle Hall, Lexington, KY, 40506-0044, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 3470 Blazer Parkway, Lexington, KY, 40509, USA.
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Naglich AC, Brown ES, Adinoff B. Systematic review of preclinical, clinical, and post-marketing evidence of bupropion misuse potential. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2019; 45:341-354. [PMID: 30601027 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2018.1545023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Background: Bupropion is a substituted cathinone compound widely used as a first line or add-on treatment for depression, smoking cessation, and more recently in combination with naltrexone for weight loss. As abuse of synthetic cathinone compounds has received more attention in recent years, concern about the misuse potential of bupropion has grown as well. Objectives: We review bupropion pharmacology and assessments of misuse potential including preclinical evidence, human studies, and post-marketing surveillance of bupropion misuse. Methods: This review reports the results of a systematic review of publications evaluating the potential for bupropion to be misused. Publications were identified using PubMed and Medline through Ovid® as well as iterative bibliographic searches. A summary of data from informal sources of information including substance-user experience from online forum entries is included. Results: Preclinical evidence demonstrates some potential for misuse based on psychomotor, discrimination, self-administration, and conditioned place preference tasks. However, this potential is less than that of commonly misused stimulants. Studies in human populations similarly indicate that bupropion shares interoceptive effects with other stimulants, but lacks some key reinforcing effects of other stimulants. In the real-world setting, misuse of bupropion occurs, but is uncommon. Adverse effects of bupropion misuse are frequently cited as significant barriers to obtaining any desired interoceptive effect. Conclusions: While bupropion demonstrates some potential for misuse, pharmacological differences from other structurally-related stimulants limit bupropion's reinforcing effects. Without additional data indicating susceptibility of specific populations to bupropion misuse, there is no empirical data suggesting a need to modify bupropion prescribing patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C Naglich
- a Department of Mental Health , VA North Texas Healthcare System , Dallas , TX , USA
| | - E Sherwood Brown
- b Department of Psychiatry , University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center , Dallas , TX , USA
| | - Bryon Adinoff
- c University of Colorado School of Medicine , Denver , CO , USA
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Perkins FN, Freeman KB. Pharmacotherapies for decreasing maladaptive choice in drug addiction: Targeting the behavior and the drug. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2018; 164:40-49. [PMID: 28666892 PMCID: PMC5745300 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2017.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Revised: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Drug addiction can be conceptualized as a disorder of maladaptive decision making in which drugs are chosen at the expense of pro-social, nondrug alternatives. The study of decision making in drug addiction has focused largely on the role of impulsivity as a facilitator of addiction, in particular the tendency for drug abusers to choose small, immediate gains over larger but delayed outcomes (i.e., delay discounting). A parallel line of work, also focused on decision making in drug addiction, has focused on identifying the determinants underlying the choice to take drugs over nondrug alternatives (i.e., drug vs. nondrug choice). Both tracks of research have been valuable tools in the development of pharmacotherapies for treating maladaptive decision making in drug addiction, and a number of common drugs have been studied in both designs. However, we have observed that there is little uniformity in the administration regimens of potential treatments between the designs, which hinders congruence in the development of single treatment strategies to reduce both impulsive behavior and drug choice. The current review provides an overview of the drugs that have been tested in both delay-discounting and drug-choice designs, and focuses on drugs that reduced the maladaptive choice in both designs. Suggestions to enhance congruence between the findings in future studies are provided. Finally, we propose the use of a hybridized, experimental approach that may enable researchers to test the effectiveness of therapeutics at decreasing impulsive and drug choice in a single design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank N Perkins
- Division of Neurobiology and Behavior Research, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, United States
| | - Kevin B Freeman
- Division of Neurobiology and Behavior Research, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, United States.
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Banks ML, Czoty PW, Negus SS. Utility of Nonhuman Primates in Substance Use Disorders Research. ILAR J 2017; 58:202-215. [PMID: 28531265 PMCID: PMC5886327 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilx014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Revised: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Substance use disorders (i.e., drug addiction) constitute a global and insidious public health issue. Preclinical biomedical research has been invaluable in elucidating the environmental, biological, and pharmacological determinants of drug abuse and in the process of developing innovative pharmacological and behavioral treatment strategies. For more than 70 years, nonhuman primates have been utilized as research subjects in biomedical research related to drug addiction. There are already several excellent published reviews highlighting species differences in both pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics between rodents and nonhuman primates in preclinical substance abuse research. Therefore, the aim of this review is to highlight three advantages of nonhuman primates as preclinical substance abuse research subjects. First, nonhuman primates offer technical advantages in experimental design compared to other laboratory animals that afford unique opportunities to promote preclinical-to-clinical translational research. Second, these technical advantages, coupled with the relatively long lifespan of nonhuman primates, allows for pairing longitudinal drug self-administration studies and noninvasive imaging technologies to elucidate the biological consequences of chronic drug exposure. Lastly, nonhuman primates offer advantages in the patterns of intravenous drug self-administration that have potential theoretical implications for both the neurobiological mechanisms of substance use disorder etiology and in the drug development process of pharmacotherapies for substance use disorders. We conclude with potential future research directions in which nonhuman primates would provide unique and valuable insights into the abuse of and addiction to novel psychoactive substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew L Banks
- Matthew L. Banks, PharmD, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia and currently serves as a scientific member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Paul W. Czoty, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology in the Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Sidney S. Negus, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia and has served as both a scientific member and chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
| | - Paul W Czoty
- Matthew L. Banks, PharmD, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia and currently serves as a scientific member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Paul W. Czoty, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology in the Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Sidney S. Negus, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia and has served as both a scientific member and chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
| | - Sidney S Negus
- Matthew L. Banks, PharmD, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia and currently serves as a scientific member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Paul W. Czoty, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology in the Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Sidney S. Negus, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia and has served as both a scientific member and chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
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Huskinson SL, Naylor JE, Townsend EA, Rowlett JK, Blough BE, Freeman KB. Self-administration and behavioral economics of second-generation synthetic cathinones in male rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:589-598. [PMID: 27896377 PMCID: PMC5266647 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4492-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Synthetic cathinones have become increasingly available as drugs of abuse. Distribution of these drugs is made possible by altering the chemical structures of prohibited cathinones and marketing them under misleading labels. Very little is known about the relative reinforcing effectiveness of new synthetic cathinones relative to known drugs of abuse. OBJECTIVE We examined self-administration of three second-generation synthetic cathinones: alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (alpha-PVP), 4-methyl-N-ethylcathinone (4-MEC), and 4-methyl-alpha-pyrrolidinopropiophenone (4-MePPP) relative to methamphetamine. METHOD Male, Sprague-Dawley rats, implanted with intravenous catheters, were trained to self-administer methamphetamine (0.05 mg/kg/injection) under a fixed-ratio schedule. Following training, various doses of methamphetamine (0.006-0.1 mg/kg/injection), alpha-PVP (0.0015-0.1 mg/kg/injection), 4-MEC (0.1-3.2 mg/kg/injection), or 4-MePPP (0.1-0.8 mg/kg/injection) were available for self-administration in separate groups, followed by a behavioral-economics evaluation of the reinforcing effectiveness of each drug. RESULTS For all drugs, at least one dose functioned as a reinforcer. Alpha-PVP and 4-MePPP maintained the highest numbers of infusions per session and both were more effective reinforcers relative to methamphetamine. 4-MEC and methamphetamine were not significantly different in terms of infusions per session or reinforcing effectiveness. CONCLUSION Emerging synthetic cathinones whose primary pharmacological mechanism is to block dopamine uptake but with little effects on monoamine release or serotonin uptake may have a greater degree of abuse potential compared with known abused stimulants.
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Affiliation(s)
- S L Huskinson
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA.
| | - J E Naylor
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - E A Townsend
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
| | - J K Rowlett
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University School of Medicine, Covington, LA, 70433, USA
| | - B E Blough
- Center for Drug Discovery, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - K B Freeman
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State Street, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
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Aarde SM, Taffe MA. Predicting the Abuse Liability of Entactogen-Class, New and Emerging Psychoactive Substances via Preclinical Models of Drug Self-administration. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2017; 32:145-164. [PMID: 27909988 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2016_54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Animal models of drug self-administration are currently the gold standard for making predictions regarding the relative likelihood that a recreational drug substance will lead to continued use and addiction. Such models have been found to have high predictive accuracy and discriminative validity for a number of drug classes including ethanol, nicotine, opioids, and psychostimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine. Members of the entactogen class of psychostimulants (drugs that produce an "open mind state" including feelings of interpersonal closeness, intimacy and empathy) have been less frequently studied in self-administration models. The prototypical entactogen 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; "Ecstasy") supports self-administration but not with the same consistency nor with the same efficacy as structurally related drugs amphetamine or methamphetamine. Consistent with these observations, MDMA use is more episodic in the majority of those who use it frequently. Nevertheless, substantial numbers of MDMA users will meet the criteria for substance dependence at some point in their use history. This review examines the currently available evidence from rodent self-administration studies of MDMA and two of the new and emerging psychoactive substances (NPS) that produce entactogen type neuropharmacological responses - mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone; 4MMC; "meow meow") and methylone (3,4-methylenedioxymethcathinone). Overall, the current evidence predicts that these NPS entactogens have enhanced abuse liability compared with MDMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn M Aarde
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders Mailcode SP30-2400, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Michael A Taffe
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders Mailcode SP30-2400, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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Bolin BL, Alcorn JL, Reynolds AR, Lile JA, Rush CR. Human drug discrimination: A primer and methodological review. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2016; 24:214-28. [PMID: 27454673 PMCID: PMC4965187 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Drug-discrimination procedures empirically evaluate the control that internal drug states exert over behavior. They provide a highly selective method to investigate the neuropharmacological underpinnings of the interoceptive effects of drugs. Historically, drug discrimination has been one of the most widely used assays in the field of behavioral pharmacology. Drug-discrimination procedures have also been adapted for use with humans and are conceptually similar to preclinical drug-discrimination techniques in that a behavior is differentially reinforced contingent on the presence or absence of a specific interoceptive drug stimulus. This review gives some general history and background concerning the major theoretical concepts and principles of drug-discrimination research as well as its relevance to substance-use disorders. This article also provides a procedural overview and discusses key methodological issues that must be considered when designing and conducting a human drug-discrimination study. Although drug discrimination is unequivocally one of the most sophisticated and useful behavioral assays to investigate the underlying neuropharmacology of drugs in vivo, enthusiasm for its use has steadily declined in the last decade and a half. We conclude by commenting on the current state of drug-discrimination research and suggest potential avenues for future drug-discrimination research. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- B. Levi Bolin
- Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 140 Medical Behavioral Science Building, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, U.S.A
| | - Joseph L. Alcorn
- Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 140 Medical Behavioral Science Building, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, U.S.A
| | - Anna R. Reynolds
- Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 140 Medical Behavioral Science Building, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, U.S.A
| | - Joshua A. Lile
- Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 140 Medical Behavioral Science Building, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, U.S.A,Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, 110 Kastle Hall, Lexington, KY 40506-0044, U.S.A,Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 3470 Blazer Parkway, Lexington, KY 40509, U.S.A
| | - Craig R. Rush
- Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 140 Medical Behavioral Science Building, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, U.S.A,Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, 110 Kastle Hall, Lexington, KY 40506-0044, U.S.A,Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 3470 Blazer Parkway, Lexington, KY 40509, U.S.A
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Adolescent D-amphetamine treatment in a rodent model of ADHD: Pro-cognitive effects in adolescence without an impact on cocaine cue reactivity in adulthood. Behav Brain Res 2015; 297:165-79. [PMID: 26467602 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Revised: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is comorbid with cocaine abuse. Whereas initiating ADHD medication in childhood does not alter later cocaine abuse risk, initiating medication during adolescence may increase risk. Preclinical work in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat (SHR) model of ADHD found that adolescent methylphenidate increased cocaine self-administration in adulthood, suggesting a need to identify alternatively efficacious medications for teens with ADHD. We examined effects of adolescent d-amphetamine treatment on strategy set shifting performance during adolescence and on cocaine self-administration and reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior (cue reactivity) during adulthood in male SHR, Wistar-Kyoto (inbred control), and Wistar (outbred control) rats. During the set shift phase, adolescent SHR needed more trials and had a longer latency to reach criterion, made more regressive errors and trial omissions, and exhibited slower and more variable lever press reaction times. d-Amphetamine improved performance only in SHR by increasing choice accuracy and decreasing errors and latency to criterion. In adulthood, SHR self-administered more cocaine, made more cocaine-seeking responses, and took longer to extinguish lever responding than control strains. Adolescent d-amphetamine did not alter cocaine self-administration in adult rats of any strain, but reduced cocaine seeking during the first of seven reinstatement test sessions in adult SHR. These findings highlight utility of SHR in modeling cognitive dysfunction and comorbid cocaine abuse in ADHD. Unlike methylphenidate, d-amphetamine improved several aspects of flexible learning in adolescent SHR and did not increase cocaine intake or cue reactivity in adult SHR. Thus, adolescent d-amphetamine was superior to methylphenidate in this ADHD model.
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Howell LL, Cunningham KA. Serotonin 5-HT2 receptor interactions with dopamine function: implications for therapeutics in cocaine use disorder. Pharmacol Rev 2015; 67:176-97. [PMID: 25505168 DOI: 10.1124/pr.114.009514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cocaine exhibits prominent abuse liability, and chronic abuse can result in cocaine use disorder with significant morbidity. Major advances have been made in delineating neurobiological mechanisms of cocaine abuse; however, effective medications to treat cocaine use disorder remain to be discovered. The present review will focus on the role of serotonin (5-HT; 5-hydroxytryptamine) neurotransmission in the neuropharmacology of cocaine and related abused stimulants. Extensive research suggests that the primary contribution of 5-HT to cocaine addiction is a consequence of interactions with dopamine (DA) neurotransmission. The literature on the neurobiological and behavioral effects of cocaine is well developed, so the focus of the review will be on cocaine with inferences made about other monoamine uptake inhibitors and releasers based on mechanistic considerations. 5-HT receptors are widely expressed throughout the brain, and several different 5-HT receptor subtypes have been implicated in mediating the effects of endogenous 5-HT on DA. However, the 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors in particular have been implicated as likely candidates for mediating the influence of 5-HT in cocaine abuse as well as to traits (e.g., impulsivity) that contribute to the development of cocaine use disorder and relapse in humans. Lastly, new approaches are proposed to guide targeted development of serotonergic ligands for the treatment of cocaine use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard L Howell
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (L.L.H.); and Center for Addiction Research and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas (K.A.C.)
| | - Kathryn A Cunningham
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (L.L.H.); and Center for Addiction Research and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas (K.A.C.)
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Naylor JE, Freeman KB, Blough BE, Woolverton WL, Huskinson SL. Discriminative-stimulus effects of second generation synthetic cathinones in methamphetamine-trained rats. Drug Alcohol Depend 2015; 149:280-4. [PMID: 25707704 PMCID: PMC4361380 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2014] [Revised: 01/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Synthetic cathinones are beta-ketophenethylamine analogs manufactured to avoid legal restrictions placed on illicit stimulants like methamphetamine. Regulating these "emerging" designer drugs require scientific evidence of abuse potential. METHODS The present study evaluated the discriminative-stimulus effects of three synthetic cathinones, recently identified in commercial and confiscated products, in male Sprague-Dawley rats trained to discriminate methamphetamine (1.0 mg/kg) from saline under a fixed-ratio (FR) 20 schedule of food delivery. Three synthetic cathinones, 4-methyl-N-ethylcathinone (4-MEC; 1.0-8.0 mg/kg), 4-methyl-alpha-pyrrolidinopropiophenone (4-MePPP; 4.0-16.0 mg/kg), and alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (alpha-PVP; 0.25-2.0 mg/kg) were tested for their ability to substitute for methamphetamine. RESULTS Full substitution for the training dose of methamphetamine occurred at the highest doses for both 4-MePPP and alpha-PVP, and 4-MEC did not substitute at any dose tested. CONCLUSIONS The present findings show that two synthetic cathinones, 4-MePPP and alpha-PVP, produced subjective effects similar to those of methamphetamine. The synthetic cathinone, 4-MEC, did not produce subjective effects similar to those of methamphetamine with the parameters used in the current experiment. Based on findings here and by others, these three compounds warrant further tests of abuse potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Naylor
- Division of Neurobiology and Behavior Research, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, United States.
| | - Kevin B Freeman
- Division of Neurobiology and Behavior Research, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, United States
| | - Bruce E Blough
- Center for Drug Discovery, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, United States
| | - William L Woolverton
- Division of Neurobiology and Behavior Research, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, United States
| | - Sally L Huskinson
- Division of Neurobiology and Behavior Research, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, United States
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Creehan KM, Vandewater SA, Taffe MA. Intravenous self-administration of mephedrone, methylone and MDMA in female rats. Neuropharmacology 2015; 92:90-7. [PMID: 25600245 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2014] [Revised: 01/06/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Male rats will intravenously self-administer (IVSA) the substituted cathinone stimulants ("bath salts") mephedrone (4-methylmethcathione) and methylone (3,4-methylenedioxymethcathinone) robustly, whereas the IVSA of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is inconsistent in many rat models. There are no data available on the self-administration of these drugs in female rats, thus a study was undertaken to contrast them directly. Groups of female Wistar rats were trained to self-administer mephedrone, methylone or MDMA (0.5 mg/kg/inf) under a Fixed-Ratio (FR) 1 schedule of reinforcement for 14 sessions. Following the acquisition interval, animals were evaluated in FR (0.0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5 mg/kg/inf) and PR (0.125, 1.0 mg/kg/inf) dose-substitution procedures. The results show that female rats acquired the self-administration of all three compounds with intakes in mephedrone-trained rats that were significantly higher than that of methylone-trained or MDMA-trained rats. In dose-substitution under either FR or PR contingencies, however, the potencies of all three drugs were similar within the original training groups. The mephedrone-trained animals exhibited higher intakes of all drugs during dose-substitution, indicating lasting consequences of the training drug. Abuse liability of these three compounds is therefore predicted to be similar in established stimulant users but may differ in liability if they are primary drugs of initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Creehan
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sophia A Vandewater
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael A Taffe
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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Abstract
Intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) is a behavioral procedure in which operant responding is maintained by pulses of electrical brain stimulation. In research to study abuse-related drug effects, ICSS relies on electrode placements that target the medial forebrain bundle at the level of the lateral hypothalamus, and experimental sessions manipulate frequency or amplitude of stimulation to engender a wide range of baseline response rates or response probabilities. Under these conditions, drug-induced increases in low rates/probabilities of responding maintained by low frequencies/amplitudes of stimulation are interpreted as an abuse-related effect. Conversely, drug-induced decreases in high rates/probabilities of responding maintained by high frequencies/amplitudes of stimulation can be interpreted as an abuse-limiting effect. Overall abuse potential can be inferred from the relative expression of abuse-related and abuse-limiting effects. The sensitivity and selectivity of ICSS to detect abuse potential of many classes of abused drugs is similar to the sensitivity and selectivity of drug self-administration procedures. Moreover, similar to progressive-ratio drug self-administration procedures, ICSS data can be used to rank the relative abuse potential of different drugs. Strengths of ICSS in comparison with drug self-administration include 1) potential for simultaneous evaluation of both abuse-related and abuse-limiting effects, 2) flexibility for use with various routes of drug administration or drug vehicles, 3) utility for studies in drug-naive subjects as well as in subjects with controlled levels of prior drug exposure, and 4) utility for studies of drug time course. Taken together, these considerations suggest that ICSS can make significant contributions to the practice of abuse potential testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Stevens Negus
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Laurence L Miller
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
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Heal DJ, Gosden J, Smith SL. Dopamine reuptake transporter (DAT) "inverse agonism"--a novel hypothesis to explain the enigmatic pharmacology of cocaine. Neuropharmacology 2014; 87:19-40. [PMID: 24953830 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2014] [Revised: 05/07/2014] [Accepted: 06/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The long held view is cocaine's pharmacological effects are mediated by monoamine reuptake inhibition. However, drugs with rapid brain penetration like sibutramine, bupropion, mazindol and tesofensine, which are equal to or more potent than cocaine as dopamine reuptake inhibitors, produce no discernable subjective effects such as drug "highs" or euphoria in drug-experienced human volunteers. Moreover they are dysphoric and aversive when given at high doses. In vivo experiments in animals demonstrate that cocaine's monoaminergic pharmacology is profoundly different from that of other prescribed monoamine reuptake inhibitors, with the exception of methylphenidate. These findings led us to conclude that the highly unusual stimulant profile of cocaine and related compounds, eg methylphenidate, is not mediated by monoamine reuptake inhibition alone. We describe the experimental findings which suggest cocaine serves as a negative allosteric modulator to alter the function of the dopamine reuptake transporter (DAT) and reverse its direction of transport. This results in a firing-dependent, retro-transport of dopamine into the synaptic cleft. The proposed mechanism of cocaine is, therefore, different from other small molecule negative allostereric modulators of the monoamine reuptake transporters, eg SoRI-6238, which merely reduce the rate of inward transport. Because the physiological role of DAT is to remove dopamine from the synapse and the action of cocaine is the opposite of this, we have postulated that cocaine's effect is analogous to an inverse agonist. If this hypothesis is validated then cocaine is the prototypical compound that exemplifies a new class of monoaminergic drugs; DAT "inverse agonists". This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'CNS Stimulants'.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Heal
- RenaSci Limited, BioCity, Pennyfoot Street, Nottingham NG1 1GF, UK.
| | - Jane Gosden
- RenaSci Limited, BioCity, Pennyfoot Street, Nottingham NG1 1GF, UK
| | - Sharon L Smith
- RenaSci Limited, BioCity, Pennyfoot Street, Nottingham NG1 1GF, UK.
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