Wydra K, Witek K, Suder A, Filip M. Esketamine Inhibits Cocaine-Seeking Behaviour Subsequent to Various Abstinence Conditions in Rats.
Biomolecules 2023;
13:1411. [PMID:
37759811 PMCID:
PMC10527312 DOI:
10.3390/biom13091411]
[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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a relapsing brain disease caused by a chronic drug intake that involves neural mechanisms and psychological processes, including depression. Preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the promise of pharmacological drugs in controlling the reinstatement of cocaine by targeting the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. Recent evidence has revealed that esketamine, a (S) enantiomer of ketamine, shows a high affinity to NMDA receptors and has been used in clinical trials to treat moderate-to-severe depression.
METHODS
In the present paper, we investigated the effects of esketamine in regulating cocaine-seeking behaviour induced through the use of cocaine (10 mg/kg) or the cocaine-associated conditioned cue after a short (10 days)-lasting period of drug abstinence with extinction training, home cage or enrichment environment conditions in male rats. Furthermore, we investigated the acute effects of esketamine on locomotor activity in drug-naïve animals.
RESULTS
Esketamine (2.5-10 mg/kg) administered peripherally attenuated the reinstatement induced with cocaine priming or the drug-associated conditioned cue after different conditions of abstinence.
CONCLUSIONS
These results seem to support esketamine as a candidate for the pharmacological management of cocaine-seeking and relapse prevention; however, further preclinical and clinical research is needed to better clarify esketamine's actions in CUD.
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