Relative Reinforcing Effects of Cocaine, Remifentanil, and Their Combination in Rhesus Monkeys

Human polydrug abusers often take combinations of opioids and stimulants, but it is not clear why. Behavioral economics with demand curve analysis is uniquely able to separate two of the possibilities: that the drug combination increases the reinforcing potency of the component drugs or that the drug combination is a more effective reinforcer than either drug alone. Rhesus monkeys self-administered a range of doses of cocaine, remifentanil, and combinations of the drugs through indwelling intravenous catheters; the number of responses required for each drug infusion increased across drug-availability sessions. Combining small doses of cocaine and remifentanil that by themselves resulted in very low rates of responding yielded rates of responding that were higher than the maximum maintained by any dose of the constituent drugs. Nevertheless, demand curve analysis demonstrated that the drug combination was equally elastic as the component drugs, indicating that it was not more effective as a reinforcer than either cocaine or remifentanil alone. This suggests that enhanced self-administration of this particular drug combination is due primarily to the drug enhancement of the potency of the other drug.

Reinforcing and discriminative stimulus effects of 1-benzylpiperazine and trifluoromethylphenylpiperazine in rhesus monkeys

1-Benzylpiperazine (BZP) and 1-(3-trifluoromethylphenyl)piperazine (TFMPP) are two designer drugs that are often sold in combination tablets via the internet. The discriminative stimulus properties and reinforcing effects of these compounds have not previously been assessed in laboratory primates. In this regard, the reinforcing effects of BZP and TFMPP (alone, and in combination) were assessed via intravenous self-administration in rhesus monkeys previously trained to self-administer cocaine, while the discriminative stimulus effects of these compounds were determined in rhesus monkeys trained to discriminate amphetamine (AMPH) from saline. BZP was an effective reinforcer in self-administration tests, and appeared to induce long-lasting direct effects on behavior following sessions where BZP intakes were large. Additionally, BZP occasioned AMPH-appropriate responding in a dose-dependent manner, and produced full generalization in all monkeys tested. In contrast, TFMPP was not self-administered by any subjects and occasioned essentially no AMPH-appropriate responding at any dose tested. Non-contingent TFMPP administration had direct effects on behavior and abolished subsequent cocaine-maintained responding. Similarly, self-administration of various ratios of BZP:TFMPP combinations engendered less responding than did BZP alone. The present results suggest that BZP has abuse liability of the amphetamine type, but that such effects are not shared by TFMPP.

Transient reinforcing effects of phenylisopropylamine and indolealkylamine hallucinogens in rhesus monkeys

Relatively few studies have assessed the reinforcing effects of hallucinogenic compounds, and no such studies have attempted to engender contingent responding for these compounds in animals with behavioral histories that include experience with serotonergically mediated reinforcing effects. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the capacity of several hallucinogenic compounds to maintain self-administration behavior in rhesus monkeys with a previous history of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) self-administration, and to compare these effects across a range of doses of drugs from two structural classes (indolealkylamines and phenylisopropylamines). The results indicate that no compound generated reliable responding and that no subject ever self-administered 4-iodo-2,5-dimethoxyphenylisopropylamine (DOI) at rates above those engendered by contingent saline. However, 3 out of 4 subjects did respond at rates between 0.75 and 3.0 responses/s in one or more sessions where N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), mescaline or psilocybin were available. During some of these sessions in which self-administration was maintained, animals earned a majority of all available infusions and appeared intoxicated by the end of the session. This pattern of transient self-administration may indicate that these compounds have weak reinforcing effects, or mixed reinforcing and aversive effects.

Relative reinforcing effects of three opioids with different durations of action

The role of duration of action on the relative reinforcing effects of three opioid drugs (fentanyl, alfentanil, and remifentanil) was evaluated. Duration and onset of action were determined using measures of respiratory depression and antinociception after i.v. administration. Effects on minute volume of respiration indicated that each of the three opioids had immediate onsets of action after i.v. administration. Fentanyl's duration of suppression of respiration and antinociception was longer than that of alfentanil, which was longer than that of remifentanil. Reinforcing strength was measured in i.v. self-administration studies in which the fixed ratio resulting in drug administration was increased from one session to the next. Comparisons were made of the behavioral economic variables P(max) and area under the demand curve (O(max)). Remifentanil maintained higher rates of responding than did alfentanil, and alfentanil maintained higher rates of responding than did fentanyl. When normalized demand functions were compared, however, the drugs did not differ significantly from each other in terms of P(max) or O(max). These data agree with those of others who have suggested that duration of action is not an important contributor to drugs' reinforcing strength.

Relative reinforcing strength of three N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonists with different onsets of action

The potential contribution of onset and duration of pharmacological action to the reinforcing strength of three intravenously delivered N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonists was evaluated in this study. The onsets and durations of action of ketamine, phencyclidine, and dizocilpine were evaluated by observation and tabulation of their behavioral effects in rhesus monkeys after i.v. administration. The reinforcing effects of each drug were tested in a paradigm in which the fixed ratio requirements for i.v. drug injection were increased systematically. The peak observable effect of ketamine occurred immediately after its administration. There were some immediately observable effects of phencyclidine, although the peak effect of phencyclidine was delayed for 3 to 10 min. Dizocilpine had few immediate effects and a peak effect 32 min after administration. Ketamine had the shortest duration of action, followed by phencyclidine and dizocilpine. Analysis of demand curves and response output curves that were normalized to account for potency differences among the drugs revealed that ketamine and phencyclidine were equally effective as reinforcers, and they were both much stronger reinforcers than was dizocilpine. The data therefore suggest that a fast onset of action increases the reinforcing strength of drugs, although duration of action may play a role as well.

Reinforcing and discriminative-stimulus effects of ephedrine isomers in rhesus monkeys

Ephedrine is a sympathomimetic drug that is currently found in many over-the-counter preparations. This compound exists as four isomers which, in addition to a racemic mixture, were evaluated for their positive reinforcing effects and for their similarity to (+)-amphetamine as a discriminative stimulus. Rhesus monkeys (N=3) with intravenous cocaine (0.1 mg/kg/inj) or saline as a consequence for lever pressing were shown to self-administer all of the ephedrine compounds (range tested: 0.03-3.0 mg/kg/inj), with the exception of (-)-pseudoephedrine, when each drug/dose was substituted for cocaine or saline during test sessions. However, the (-)-pseudoephedrine isomer was evaluated within a limited dose range due to solubility limitations. Systematically increasing the number of responses required for an injection indicated that these isomers were not as effective as reinforcers as was cocaine. Rhesus monkeys (N=3) trained to discriminate intragastric 1.0 mg/kg (+)-amphetamine from saline were given substitution tests with the ephedrine isomers and the racemic mixture. When given intragastrically, at least one dose of all the ephedrine isomers substituted for the (+)-amphetamine discriminative stimulus in at least one of the subjects tested. However, (+)-amphetamine-like effects were not systematically related to dose. When the discriminative-stimulus effects of (-)-ephedrine were also compared with those of (+)-amphetamine across three different routes of administration, full, dose-related, (+)-amphetamine-like responding was observed with both the intramuscular and intravenous routes. Taken together, these results suggest that the ephedrines have psychomotor stimulant-like abuse potential, lower than that of cocaine. Parenteral administration may enhance psychomotor-stimulant-like effects.

Psychomotor stimulant effects of beta-phenylethylamine in monkeys treated with MAO-B inhibitors

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE

Sufficiently high doses of beta-phenylethylamine (beta-PEA), a trace amine that is rapidly metabolized by monoamine oxidase-type B (MAO-B), can produce effects comparable to those of cocaine or methamphetamine (MA). The present experiments were conducted to study how the discriminative-stimulus (S(D)) and reinforcing-stimulus (S(R)) effects of beta-PEA in monkeys are modified by treatment with inhibitors of MAO-B [R-(-)-deprenyl and MDL 72974].

METHODS AND RESULTS

In studies of its S(D) effects, doses of beta-PEA up to 30 mg/kg engendered only sporadic responding on the drug-associated lever in squirrel monkeys that discriminated intramuscular injections of 0.3 mg/kg MA from vehicle whereas lower doses of 0.3-1.0 mg/kg beta-PEA produced full substitution when administered after either R-(-)-deprenyl or MDL 72974 (0.3 mg/kg). The MA-like S(D) effects of beta-PEA were attenuated by either dopamine D(1) or D(2) receptor blockers. In studies of its S(R) effects, high doses of beta-PEA maintained responding in two of three monkeys under a second-order fixed-interval schedule (3.0 or 10 mg/kg per injection) and two of three monkeys under a simple fixed ratio (FR) schedule (0.3-1.0 mg/kg per injection) of intravenous (i.v.) self-administration. MAO-B inhibition by R-(-)-deprenyl or MDL 72974 enhanced the S(R) effects of beta-PEA in all monkeys and, under the FR schedule, induced a 30-fold or greater leftward shift in the dose-response function for its i.v. self-administration. Based on time-course determinations, the enhanced S(R) effects of beta-PEA under the FR schedule were long-lasting and dissipated gradually over 3-7 days.

CONCLUSIONS

These results show that inhibition of MAO-B enhances S(D) and S(R) effects of beta-PEA in monkeys, presumably by delaying its inactivation. MAO-B inhibition leading to increased levels of beta-PEA may be useful, alone or in combination with other therapeutic agents, in the pharmacological management of selected aspects of drug dependence.

Behavioral effects of flunitrazepam: reinforcing and discriminative stimulus effects in rhesus monkeys and prevention of withdrawal signs in pentobarbital-dependent rats

Flunitrazepam was evaluated in several procedures that have been used extensively to study the behavioral effects and abuse potential of positive GABA(A) modulators. One group of monkeys (n=3) responded to receive injections of methohexital or saline (i.v.) while other groups (n=2-4/group) discriminated vehicle from either pentobarbital or triazolam. Other monkeys (n=2) received diazepam daily and discriminated flumazenil from vehicle. Finally, the ability of flunitrazepam to prevent the emergence of withdrawal signs in pentobarbital-treated rats was evaluated. Flunitrazepam maintained i.v. self-administration that was, on average, less than that maintained by methohexital and greater than that maintained by saline. In drug discrimination studies, flunitrazepam substituted for pentobarbital and for triazolam and failed to substitute for flumazenil. In rats (n=3-6/group), signs of withdrawal were not evident when flunitrazepam treatment replaced pentobarbital treatment; withdrawal signs emerged when either pentobarbital or flunitrazepam treatment was terminated. Taken together with data from previous studies, these data suggest that the abuse liability of flunitrazepam is comparable to that of other benzodiazepines.

The effects of chronic morphine on behavior reinforced by several opioids or by cocaine in rhesus monkeys

The reinforcing effects of intravenously delivered cocaine, alfentanil, morphine, heroin, nalbuphine, or buprenorphine were evaluated in four rhesus monkeys before, during, and after daily administration of 3.2 mg/kg morphine. Morphine was given 21 h prior to measures of the reinforcing effects of each of the drugs. No changes in the potency of cocaine or the high efficacy mu agonist alfentanil were detectable during the period of chronic morphine administration. Small (1/2-1) log unit decreases in the reinforcing potency of intermediate efficacy mu agonists morphine and heroin occurred during chronic morphine administration. Larger decreases in both the potency and effectiveness of low-efficacy mu agonists nalbuphine and buprenorphine developed during this time. These data suggest that the amount of tolerance that develops to the reinforcing effects of opioids depends on the efficacy of the drugs used to maintain responding.

Similarity of the discriminative stimulus effects of ketamine, cyclazocine, and dextrorphan in the pigeon

Separate groups of pigeons were trained to discriminate the IM injection of ketamine, cyclazocine, or dextrorphan from saline. Each of the training drugs and phencyclidine produced dose-related, drug-appropriate responding in each group of birds. In contrast, ethylketazocine and nalorphine generally produced responding appropriate for saline. These results indicate that common elements of discriminable effects exist among ketamine, cyclazocine, and dextrorphan, structurally dissimilar compounds that are generally considered to belong to distinct pharmacological classes.

Natural and artificial enzymes against cocaine. I. Monoclonal antibody 15A10 and the reinforcing effects of cocaine in rats

Recent reports have indicated the potential usefulness of anticocaine catalytic monoclonal antibodies in reducing cocaine's toxic and reinforcing effects by altering its pharmacokinetics to favor increased metabolism to the systemically inert products ecgonine methylester and benzoic acid. The present study was designed to further these findings by evaluating the hypothesis that administration of the anticocaine catalytic monoclonal antibody mAb 15A10 would dose and time dependently reduce behavior maintained by a range of doses of i.v. cocaine. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained in daily 8-h sessions to self-administer i.v. cocaine. A within-session multiple-dose protocol was used wherein rats were allowed access to saline or one of six doses of cocaine [0 (saline), 0.015, 0.03, 0.06, 0 (saline), 0.125, 0.25, or 0.5 mg/kg/injection] each hour in the order stated. After demonstrating stable dose-response curves over 3 consecutive days, rats were given 30-min pretreatments of saline or mAb 15A10, (10, 30, or 100 mg/kg i.v.). Antibody, but not saline, pretreatments significantly altered dose-response curves for cocaine self-administration in a dose- and time-dependent manner, resulting in downward and rightward shifts in rates of responding across the cocaine dose range. These effects were apparently not attributable to general behavioral suppression, because operant behavior for an alternative reinforcer was not likewise affected. The present data extend previous work indicating that pharmacokinetic approaches may be of worth in the search for clinically effective cocaine antagonists.

Application of artificial enzymes to the problem of cocaine

Cocaine mediates its reinforcing and toxic actions through a "loss of function" effect at multiple receptors. The difficulties inherent in blocking a pleiotropic blocker pose a great obstacle for the classical receptor-antagonist approach and have contributed to the failure-to-date to devise specific treatments for cocaine overdose and addiction. As an alternative, we have embarked on an investigation of catalytic antibodies, a programmable class of artificial enzyme, as "peripheral blockers"--agents designed to bind and degrade cocaine in the circulation before it partitions into the central nervous system to exert reinforcing or toxic effects. We synthesized transition-state analogs of cocaine's hydrolysis at its benzoyl ester, immunized mice, prepared hybridomas, and developed the first anti-cocaine catalytic antibodies with the capacity to degrade cocaine to non-reinforcing, non-toxic products. We subsequently identified several families of anti-cocaine catalytic antibodies and found that out most potent antibody, Mab15A10, possessed sufficient activity to block cocaine-induced reinforcement and sudden death in rodent models of addiction and overdose, respectively. With the potential to promote cessation of use, prolong abstinence, and provide a treatment for acute overdose, the artificial enzyme approach comprehensively responds to the problem of cocaine.

Methoclocinnamox: time course of changes in alfentanil-reinforced responding in rhesus monkeys

RATIONALE

Methoclocinnamox (MC-CAM) possesses initial partial micro-opioid agonist activity with subsequent long-lasting micro-antagonist effects. This profile of activity is similar to that of buprenorphine, a compound with proposed use in the treatment of opioid abuse, suggesting a possible therapeutic use for MC-CAM as well.

OBJECTIVE

The current study assessed the time course of the ability of MC-CAM and buprenorphine to antagonize the reinforcing effects of alfentanil and compared this with that of buprenorphine.

METHODS

Rhesus monkeys self-administered a range of doses of alfentanil (0.03-1 microg/kg per injection) under a fixed-ratio 30, time-out 45 s schedule of i.v. drug delivery. MC-CAM was substituted for alfentanil on occasion, and a dose of 1.0 mg/kg MC-CAM or buprenorphine was given prior to sessions in which alfentanil was available. In the pretreatment studies, a wider range of alfentanil doses was utilized (0.03-30 microg/kg per injection).

RESULTS

MC-CAM maintained self-administration behavior and was nearly equipotent with buprenorphine as a reinforcer in this paradigm. Both drugs, when given prior to a session in which alfentanil was available, produced a decrease in the reinforcing potency of alfentanil. The antagonist effects of the pretreatments were largest 30 min following administration and decreased over the next several days. The duration of MC-CAM's antagonism of alfentanil was approximately 4 days: the duration of buprenorphine as an antagonist was approximately 2 days.

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that MC-CAM has a longer duration of antagonist effects than buprenorphine and it may therefore have an advantage in the treatment of opioid abuse.

Glucocorticoid-reinforced responding in the rhesus monkey

RATIONALE

Glucocorticoids have been reported to have rewarding effects in rats and may lead to drug-seeking behavior in humans under some circumstances.

OBJECTIVES

The present study investigated whether glucocorticoids would be self-administered intravenously by rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

METHODS

Ten monkeys, 7 male and 3 female, were maintained on a fixed ratio 10 (30 or 100), time-out 10-s schedule for 0.1 mg/kg methohexital or saline injections. Dexamethasone (0.03-0.3 mg/kg), methylprednisolone (0.1-1.0 mg/kg) and hydrocortisone (0.3-3.0 mg/kg) were periodically substituted for methohexital or saline.

RESULTS

Dexamethasone (0.3 mg/kg) was self-administered by all of the male monkeys on the first, but not on subsequent occasions. It was hypothesized that suppression of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity by these exogenous glucocorticoids following their first presentation may have interfered with their reinforcing effects on subsequent evaluation. Subsequently, plasma adrenocorticotropin and cortisol were measured in four male monkeys to ascertain that normal basal HPA activity had resumed prior to each glucocorticoid substitution. Of the ten monkeys that were tested, only one reliably self-administered dexamethasone, methylprednisolone and hydrocortisone, and he did so regardless of whether his basal HPA activity was suppressed. This monkey differed from some of the other monkeys both behaviorally and in his response to intravenous corticotropin releasing hormone. None of the three female monkeys that were tested with selected glucocorticoid doses showed any evidence of glucocorticoid reinforcement on any occasion.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that glucocorticoids were not reinforcing to the majority of monkeys in this study; nevertheless, large individual differences may exist in proclivity of monkeys to self-inject these compounds.

Cocaine-reinforced responding in rhesus monkeys: pharmacological attenuation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response

Intravenously self-administered cocaine produces a dose-dependent release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol in male rhesus monkeys. This study investigated whether the acute disruption of cortisol and/or ACTH release had any effect on ongoing cocaine-maintained responding. Four hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis inhibitors were examined: etomidate and ketoconazole, both of which are cortisol synthesis inhibitors; astressin, a peptidic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) antagonist that binds CRF(1) receptors predominantly in the pituitary gland; and dexamethasone, a highly selective glucocorticoid receptor agonist whose long-lasting effects reduce or abolish the endogenous release of ACTH and cortisol. The reinforcing effects of a range of cocaine doses, with or without pretreatment with an HPA inhibitor, were evaluated using a fixed ratio 30 time-out 10-min schedule of reinforcement in six male monkeys. Blood was sampled before, during, and after self-administration sessions. Self-administration of cocaine increased plasma cortisol and ACTH. Pretreatment with etomidate and ketoconazole dose-dependently inhibited the cocaine-induced rise in cortisol and, at the highest doses, produced a compensatory increase in ACTH release. Astressin and dexamethasone attenuated or abolished cocaine-induced cortisol and ACTH release. Despite the efficacy exhibited by these pretreatments and the variety of mechanisms by which they inhibited the HPA axis, there was no evidence for any change in cocaine-reinforced behavior (response rate or infusion number), an indication that acute changes in the ACTH or cortisol response to cocaine do not play a direct role in modulating cocaine-seeking behavior under these behavioral circumstances.

Reinforcing and discriminative stimulus effects of the neuroactive steroids pregnanolone and Co 8-7071 in rhesus monkeys

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

The present study was designed to assess possible abuse-related effects of the endogenous neuroactive steroid pregnanolone (3alpha-hydroxy-5beta-pregnan-20-one) and the orally bioavailable, water-soluble neuroactive steroid pro-drug Co 8-7071 (3alpha,21-dihydroxy-3beta-trifluoromethyl-5beta-pregnan-20- one, 21-hemisuccinate).

METHODS

Four rhesus monkeys were prepared with chronic intravenous (i.v.) catheters and trained to press a lever under a ten-response fixed-ratio (FR) schedule of methohexital injection (0.1 mg/kg per injection). Three rhesus monkeys were trained to discriminate intragastric infusions of pentobarbital (10 mg/kg) from saline infusions under a FR5 schedule of stimulus-shock termination.

RESULTS

At least two doses of pregnanolone (0.003-0.1 mg/kg per injection) maintained injections per session above saline levels in the four monkeys tested, whereas Co 8-7071 (0.01-1.0 mg/kg per injection) maintained injections per session above saline levels in two of four monkeys at relatively low levels of injections per session. In rhesus monkeys trained to discriminate pentobarbital, i.v. pregnanolone injections (0.1-1.7 mg/kg, 5-min presession) dose-dependently reproduced the discriminative stimulus effects of pentobarbital in all monkeys tested. Intravenous administration of Co 8-7071 (1-10 mg/kg, 5-min presession) resulted in a dose-dependent increase to >80% pentobarbital-appropriate responding in two of three monkeys tested. Following intragastric infusions of Co 8-7071 (1.0-30 mg/kg), > or =80% pentobarbital-appropriate responding occurred in one out of three monkeys at 10 mg/kg when administered 60 min before the session. When administered 120 min before the session, however, 10-30 mg/kg Co 8-7071 reproduced the discriminative stimulus effects of pentobarbital in each of the three monkeys tested.

CONCLUSIONS

These data demonstrate barbiturate-like abuse-related effects that differed between two pregnane steroids. Whereas pregnanolone functioned as a reinforcer, suggesting that this compound has abuse potential, Co 8-7071 did not, despite having pentobarbital-like discriminative effects.

Effects of response contingent and noncontingent cocaine injection on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity in rhesus monkeys

Earlier studies of cocaine's effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis used nonresponse-contingent designs in which the investigator determined dose, timing, and route of administration. It is important to evaluate whether "control" over cocaine delivery is a significant determinant of cocaine's HPA axis effect. This study measured cocaine's effects on plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol, using nonresponse-contingent injections followed later by response-contingent cocaine delivery. In addition, the effects of cocaine history on the HPA response to a noncontingent injection of 1 mg/kg of cocaine were measured. HPA effects of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRF) were also measured. Male and female rhesus monkeys, with surgically placed venous catheters, were tested in their home cages. Up to 13 injections of saline and cocaine (0.01-, 0.03-, 0.1-, and 0.3-mg/kg/injection) were administered at 10-min intervals (nonresponse-contingent condition) and on a fixed ratio 30, time out 10-min schedule of reinforcement. Overall, cocaine delivered response contingently produced larger, more dose-dependent HPA responses than did noncontingent delivery. The HPA response to a 1 mg/kg cocaine infusion in cocaine-naive monkeys was not predictive of the HPA effect of this dose subsequent to acquisition of cocaine self-administration. Overall, male monkeys had larger HPA responses to cocaine than did female monkeys. Finally, the HPA effects of CRF were significantly correlated with those of large cocaine doses delivered nonresponse contingently, but not with response-contingent administration.

Effects of self-administered cocaine on plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol in male rhesus monkeys

This study was designed to examine the effects of self-administered cocaine on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity in rhesus monkeys. Initially, basal release of cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) was measured in singly housed male and female monkeys (n = 9) over a 24-h period using plasma samples obtained from indwelling venous catheters. Basal cortisol and ACTH levels in both male and female rhesus monkeys demonstrated a circadian pattern of release, with peak levels for cortisol (19.60 +/- 2.16 microgram/dl) and ACTH (19.63 +/- 2.56 pg/ml) measured at 6:00 AM. The nadir for ACTH (6.27 +/- 0.62 pg/ml) occurred at 6:00 PM, preceding the cortisol nadir (5.55 +/- 1.21 microgram/dl) at 9:00 PM. The reinforcing effects of saline, 0.01, 0.03, 0.1, and 0.3 mg/kg/injection cocaine were then evaluated using a fixed-ratio 30, time-out 10-min schedule of reinforcement in seven male monkeys. Blood was sampled before, during, and after self-administration sessions. Self-administration of cocaine produced dose-dependent increases in cortisol and ACTH. One dose of cocaine (0.03 mg/kg/injection), although reliably self-administered, did not produce a significant increase in HPA axis activity. These results indicate that although cocaine dose-dependently increases HPA axis activity, the HPA effect is more likely a consequence of overall cocaine intake than it is an indicator of cocaine doses that are sufficient to maintain self-administration behavior.

Evaluation of the reinforcing and discriminative stimulus effects of gamma-hydroxybutyrate in rhesus monkeys

Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a metabolite of GABA that is present in the CNS and fulfils at least some of the criteria for a neurotransmitter. Its effects are generally similar to those of CNS depressants and include ataxia, sleep and anesthesia. It has also been suggested that GHB is a drug of abuse. The present experiment was designed to evaluate GHB in procedures predictive of abuse and dependence potential in rhesus monkeys. Three monkeys were surgically prepared with indwelling silicone venous catheters and allowed to self-administer methohexital or saline in twice-daily experimental sessions. Other groups of monkeys were trained in drug discrimination paradigms to discriminate D-amphetamine (AMPH; n = 4), pentobarbital (PB; n = 3) or triazolam (n = 3) from saline. Another group was maintained on diazepam daily and trained to discriminate flumazenil from saline (n = 2). GHB (0.01-10 mg/kg per injection) maintained self-administration marginally above saline levels at one dose (3.2 or 10 mg/kg) in two of the three monkeys tested. GHB (1.0-178 mg/kg, subcutaneously (s.c.) or intragastrically (i.g.)) did not reliably substitute as a discriminative stimulus for any of the training conditions. Taken together with previous results, the present experiment suggests that GHB has, at most, low potential for abuse.

Naltrexone reduces ethanol- and sucrose-reinforced responding in rhesus monkeys

These experiments evaluated the ability of naltrexone (NTX) to reduce selectively oral and i.v. ethanol-reinforced responding, and examined the ethanol-NTX interaction in terms of the competitive opioid antagonist property of NTX. Five rhesus monkeys self-administered ethanol or sucrose and concurrently available water. Ethanol concentration was varied from 0.25% to 8% (w/v). Naltrexone (0.032-0.32 mg/kg) or saline was given i.m. 30 min prior to some drinking sessions. NTX (0.32 mg/kg) reduced ethanol-reinforced responding at the concentration that maintained the most responding (1% or 2%). NTX (0.1 mg/kg) reduced ethanol-reinforced responding, both at a low ethanol concentration (0.25%) that produced little ethanol intake (g/kg), and at a higher concentration (4%) with an appreciable intake. Thus, NTX (0.1 mg/kg) shifted the ethanol concentration-consumption curve down, in an insurmountable manner. NTX (0.1 and 0.32 mg/kg) also reduced reinforced responding for sucrose 100 g/l. In another experiment, three rhesus monkeys were given opportunities to self-administer ethanol i.v. NTX (0.1 mg/kg) reduced the number of ethanol injections obtained by the monkeys at all ethanol doses tested (0.01, 0.032, and 0.1 g/kg per injection). The dose-effect curve was also shifted down. These results showed that NTX reduced behavior maintained by either ethanol or sucrose non-selectively. Furthermore, the ability of NTX to suppress ethanol-reinforced responding did not depend on the route of ethanol administration and was not overcome by increasing the concentration or dose per injection of ethanol.

A catalytic antibody against cocaine prevents cocaine's reinforcing and toxic effects in rats

Cocaine addiction and overdose have long defied specific treatment. To provide a new approach, the high-activity catalytic antibody mAb 15A10 was elicited using a transition-state analog for the hydrolysis of cocaine to nontoxic, nonaddictive products. In a model of cocaine overdose, mAb 15A10 protected rats from cocaine-induced seizures and sudden death in a dose-dependent fashion; a noncatalytic anticocaine antibody did not reduce toxicity. Consistent with accelerated catalysis, the hydrolysis product ecgonine methyl ester was increased >10-fold in plasma of rats receiving mAb 15A10 and lethal amounts of cocaine. In a model of cocaine addiction, mAb 15A10 blocked completely the reinforcing effect of cocaine in rats. mAb 15A10 blocked cocaine specifically and did not affect behavior maintained by milk or by the dopamine reuptake inhibitor bupropion. This artificial cocaine esterase is a rationally designed cocaine antagonist and a catalytic antibody with potential for medicinal use.

Abuse liability of flunitrazepam

Flunitrazepam is among the most frequently prescribed hypnotics in many countries. Although it was never marketed in the United States, flunitrazepam, in recent years, has been smuggled into the country, and reports of abuse--including alleged use of the drug to facilitate "date rape"--have attracted a great deal of scrutiny. It has been suggested that flunitrazepam may have greater liability for abuse than other benzodiazepines; such suggestions are supported by surveys of opioid abusers, many of whom report a distinct preference for flunitrazepam over other benzodiazepines. Experimental studies of animals and normal human subjects indicate that, although flunitrazepam has high efficacy and is very potent, it is pharmacologically similar to most other benzodiazepines. Although the studies are limited in number and scope, the data show no apparent differences between flunitrazepam and other benzodiazepines in ability to produce drug-taking or drug-seeking behavior, in capacity to produce physiologic dependence, nor in the characteristics of withdrawal after administration of an antagonist or discontinuation of treatment. Similar to other benzodiazepines, flunitrazepam produces dose-dependent effects on psychomotor performance and recall. Flunitrazepam does not seem to be involved in medical emergencies more often than other benzodiazepines, and there is no indication that flunitrazepam is more toxic than other benzodiazepines when taken in overdose by drug abusers or other individuals. Survey research among typical patient populations suggests that flunitrazepam is characteristic of benzodiazepines in that it is used appropriately and conservatively, with low liability for abuse. Thus the reported preference for flunitrazepam among opioid abusers seems to be the only way in which flunitrazepam is distinguished from other benzodiazepines; it is unclear what characteristics of the drug may be responsible for this reported preference. The evidence considered in this review indicates that abuse of flunitrazepam in this special population is not associated with any distinctive threats to the health of the general public.

Ethanol effects on self-administration of alfentanil, cocaine, and nomifensine in rhesus monkeys

A common form of polydrug use is that of cocaine and ethanol. The identification of an ethanol-cocaine combination product, cocaethylene, with properties in common with cocaine, has led to speculation that this metabolite may contribute to the co-abuse of cocaine and ethanol. In order to determine whether ethanol pretreatments selectively altered cocaine's reinforcing potency, ethanol pretreatments were given to monkeys trained to press levers and receive IV infusions of several doses of cocaine or alfentanil. In addition, nomifensine, a drug which has a mechanism of action similar to cocaine's, was evaluated in the presence and absence of ethanol in monkeys with the cocaine baseline history. Ethanol, in doses ranging from 100 to 1780 mg/kg, given 10 min before the 130-min session, had no effect on responding maintained by alfentanil. These doses also had no significant effect on cocaine-maintained responding, although the potency of cocaine as a reinforcer was increased following administration of 1000 mg/kg ethanol in two of the four subjects. The potency of nomifensine as a reinforcer was significantly increased by 1000 mg/kg ethanol, but again, this enhancement was limited to the same two subjects. These data indicate that, in this paradigm, cocaethylene did not selectively modify cocaine's reinforcing potency, but there appear to be individual differences with respect to ethanol's ability to stimulate rates of drug-maintained responding.

Zipeprol: preclinical assessment of abuse potential

Zipeprol was evaluated in a number of in vitro and in vivo assays predictive of stimulant, depressant, or opioid abuse potential. Zipeprol had affinity for mu and kappa opioid binding sites as well as sigma binding sites. However, it failed to exert opioid-like agonist actions in rodents, and did not attenuate withdrawal signs in morphine- or pentobarbital-dependent rats. Zipeprol did not substitute for either amphetamine or pentobarbital in drug discrimination assays in rhesus monkeys. On the other hand, it suppressed morphine withdrawal signs in rhesus monkeys in two assays, and it acted as a quadazocine-sensitive reinforcer in monkeys trained to self-inject alfentanil. Zipeprol also acted as a reinforcer in monkeys trained to self-inject methohexital. In a dose range of 10-18 mg/kg, zipeprol induced convulsions in monkeys. Zipeprol appears to have abuse potential and a novel spectrum of action involving both opioid and non-opioid effects.

Effects of buprenorphine on behaviour maintained by heroin and alfentanil in rhesus monkeys

The mechanism by which buprenorphine reduces opioid self-administration in humans and animals is generally thought to be through its opioid agonist effects. Buprenorphine, given acutely i.v. to three rhesus monkeys 30min prior to a session in which a range of doses of either alfentanil or heroin was available, produced dose-related decreases in the potency of both opioid agonists. The effects of buprenorphine were generally surmounted by increasing the dose/injection of alfentanil or heroin available for self-administration, indicating that buprenorphine was acting as an opioid antagonist in this situation. These data suggest that at least part of the effectiveness of buprenorphine in reducing opioid administration by human opioid users may be via its opioid antagonist properties.

Normalized demand for drugs and other reinforcers

The concepts of behavioral economics have proven to be useful for understanding the environmental control of overall levels of responding for a variety of commodities, including reinforcement by drug self-administration. These general concepts have implications for the assessment of abuse liability and drug abuse intervention and the formulation of public policy on drug abuse. An essential requirement is the ability to compare the demand for different drugs directly in order to assess relative abuse liability, and to compare demand for the same drug under different environmental and biological interventions to assess their ability to reduce demand. Until now, such comparisons were hampered by the confounding effect of varying drug doses and potencies that prevent quantitative comparisons of demand elasticity--sensitivity of consumption and responding to the constraint of price (effort). In this paper we describe a procedure to normalize demand-curve analysis that permits dose- and potency-independent comparisons of demand across drugs. The procedure is shown to be effective for comparing drug demand within and across the drug classes. The technique permits a quantitative ordering of demand that is consistent with the peak levels of responding maintained by the drugs. The same technique is generalized for the comparison of other types of reinforcers under different biological conditions.

Current benzodiazepine issues

This article deals with some of the recent evidence bearing on the issues of the liability of benzodiazepines to lead to abuse, dependence, and adverse behavioral effects. Reviews of epidemiological, clinical and experimental literature indicated that the previous conclusion about abuse of these drugs still holds: the vast majority of the use of benzodiazepines is appropriate. Problems of nonmedical use arise nearly exclusively among people who abuse other drugs. Nevertheless, there are reasons for concern about patients who take benzodiazepines regularly for long periods of time. These drugs can produce physiological dependence when taken chronically, and although this does not appear to result in dose escalation or other evidence of "psychological dependence," physiological dependence can result in patient discomfort if drug use is abruptly discontinued. Also, physicians are currently prescribing shorter-acting benzodiazepines in preference to longer-acting benzodiazepines. The shorter-acting drugs can produce a more intense withdrawal syndrome following chronic administration. Furthermore, rates of use of benzodiazepines increase with age, and elderly patients are more likely than younger ones to take the drug chronically. The clearest adverse effect of benzodiazepines is impairment of memory. This, too, may be particular concern in older patients whose recall in the absence of drug is typically impaired relative to younger individuals, and who are more compromised following drug administration.

Butorphanol: characterization of agonist and antagonist effects in rhesus monkeys

The effects of butorphanol were studied in assays of antinociception, respiratory depression, sedation, diuresis and reinforcing effects in rhesus monkeys, and opioid binding in monkey brain. Butorphanol (0.003-0.1 mg/kg s.c.) was effective in the warm-water tail withdrawal assay in 50 degrees C water but not in 55 degrees C. Over a similar dose range, butorphanol caused substantial respiratory depression, without an obvious plateau. Constrained quadazocine apparent pA2 analysis on the respiratory depressant and antinociceptive effects of butorphanol yielded different values between the two assays (respiratory depression pA2 = 6.61; antinociception pA2 = 8.26). Butorphanol (0.1 mg/kg) antagonized the antinociceptive effects of etonitazene in 55 degrees C water, but caused a nonparallel leftward shift in the U50,488 dose-effect curve; both effects were probably due to butorphanol's intermediate efficacy at mu receptors. Butorphanol (0.0001-0.003 mg/kg per injection i.v.) was self-administered; unlike other mu opioid agonists, its maximum effect was depressed after pretreatment with quadazocine (0.01-1.0 mg/kg). Butorphanol (0.003-0.32 mg/kg) was devoid of substantial sedative or muscle relaxant effects, as measured by observational rating scales. Butorphanol (0.01-0.1 mg/kg s.c.), unlike U50,488 (0.01-0.32 mg/kg) did not cause diuresis. Kappa agonist or antagonist effects of butorphanol were not detected in the present studies. This profile is consistent with butorphanol's binding characteristics in rhesus monkey brain which indicated 12-fold mu:kappa selectively and 34-fold mu:delta selectivity.

Evaluation of the abuse liability of aminorex

Aminorex is a cyclic phenylisopropylamine that has been marketed as an anorectic. Despite obvious pharmacological similarities to the amphetamines, little is known about its liability for abuse. In the present study, one group of rhesus monkeys (n = 3) was prepared with intravenous catheters and allowed to self-administer either methohexital or saline in daily experimental sessions. When methohexital and saline self-administration were stable and clearly different, various doses of aminorex (0.001-0.1 mg/kg/injection) were made available for self-administration. Aminorex maintained self-administration above that maintained by saline and slightly lower than that maintained by methohexital in all monkeys. The discriminative stimulus effects of aminorex were evaluated in rhesus monkeys trained to discriminate d-amphetamine (n = 3) or pentobarbital (n = 4) from saline. Aminorex substituted completely for d-amphetamine as a discriminative stimulus but engendered little or no pentobarbital-appropriate responding. Aminorex stimulated locomotor activity in mice and exacerbated the withdrawal syndrome in rats that were dependent upon pentobarbital. These findings indicate that aminorex is a psychomotor stimulant that would be predicted to have significant d-amphetamine-like abuse liability in humans.

Behavioral effects of the systemically active delta opioid agonist BW373U86 in rhesus monkeys

The behavioral effects of (+-)-4-((alpha R*)-alpha-((2S*,5R*)-4-allyl-2,5-dimethyl-1-piperazinyl)-3- hydroxybenzyl)-N,N-diethylbenzamide dihydrochloride (BW373U86), a nonpeptidic, systemically active, delta opioid agonist, were examined in rhesus monkeys. BW373U86, the mu agonist alfentanil and the kappa agonist U69,593 [(5 alpha,7 alpha,8 beta)-(-)-N-methyl-N-(7-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1-oxaspiro- (4,5)dec-8-yl)benzeneacetamide] all produced a dose-dependent suppression of response rates maintained under a fixed ratio 30 schedule of food presentation. The rate-suppressing effects of BW373U86 lasted 1 to 2 hr and were no longer apparent after 4 hr. The selective delta antagonist naltrindole (NTI) antagonized the effects of BW373U86 with relatively high potency (pKB = 6.5) and the antagonist effects of NTI against BW373U86 lasted approximately 4 hr. NTI was less potent in antagonizing alfentanil (pKB = 5.1) and the highest dose of NTI examined (10.0 mg/kg) did not antagonize U69,593. BW373U86 did not generalize to the discriminative stimulus effects of the mu agonist alfentanil or the kappa agonist ethylketocyclazocine. BW373U86 also did not produce antinociceptive effects in the warm-water tail-withdrawal procedure, significant respiratory depressant effects in monkeys breathing either air or 5% CO2 or reinforcing effects in a self-administration procedure. The highest dose of BW373U86 examined (1.78 mg/kg) produced convulsions in one monkey. The high relative potency of NTI to antagonize the rate-suppressing effects of BW373U86 was consistent with the characterization of BW373U86 as a systemically active, delta-selective agonist in rhesus monkeys. Under the conditions evaluated in the present study, the delta receptors to which BW373U86 binds do not appear to mediate antinociceptive, respiratory depressant or reinforcing effects in monkeys.

Dopamine antagonist effects on behavior maintained by cocaine and alfentanil in rhesus monkeys

The effects of dopamine (DA) antagonists that act on either the D1 site (SCH 39166), the D2 site (eticlopride), or both sites non-selectively (cis-flupenthixol) were evaluated for their effects on behavior maintained by cocaine or alfentanil in rhesus monkeys. Each of these drugs suppressed rates of responding maintained by cocaine or alfentanil. Larger doses of each of the DA antagonists were necessary to suppress cocaine- as opposed to alfentanil-maintained responding, suggesting that cocaine but not alfentanil was able to antagonize the rate-suppressing effects of the antagonists. There was little evidence, under these conditions of acute administration, that the DA antagonists modified the reinforcing effects of either cocaine or alfentanil. This would have been observed by an antagonist-induced increase in the ED(50) of the reinforcing drugs and, although such an increase was seen occasionally with cocaine, it was never statistically significant. The effects of rate-suppressing doses of each of the antagonists on directly observable behavior indicated a rapid onset and relatively short duration of action of intravenously administered SCH 39166 and eticlopride. cis-Flupenthixol had a much slower onset of action. Each of the DA antagonists produced similar increases in measures of sedation and relaxation. These data suggest very similar behavioral effects of DA antagonists that act selectively on D1 or D2 receptors or act non-selectively on both DA receptors.

Effects of GBR 12909 and cocaine on cocaine-maintained behavior in rhesus monkeys

The reinforcing effect of the high affinity dopamine reuptake inhibitor GBR 12909 (1-[2-[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methoxy]ethyl)-4(3- phenylpropyl)piperazine) was compared with that of cocaine, and the effects of both GBR 12909 and cocaine pretreatments were evaluated on behaviour maintained by cocaine in rhesus monkeys. Increasing dose per injection of intravenously-delivered GBR 12909 or cocaine led to increased rates of lever-press responding. Maximum cocaine-maintained rates were higher and occurred at a smaller dose than maximum rates of GBR 12909-maintained responding. Presession intravenous administration of either GBR 12909 or cocaine (0.32, 1.0 or 3.2 mg/kg) resulted in dose-dependent decreases in rates of cocaine-maintained responding when high doses of cocaine, which engendered high response rates, were available early in the session. Under these conditions, the decrease in response rates was associated primarily with decreases in running rate rather than with a lengthening in post-reinforcement pause times. The decreases in running rate produced by both cocaine and GBR 12909 probably reflect an unconditioned rate-disruptive effect of these drugs on cocaine-reinforced responding rather than a reduction in the reinforcing efficacy of cocaine.

Opioid and non-opioid effects of novel butyrophenone analogues

Haloperidol, haloperidol propionate, and a haloperidol analogue N-3-(p-fluorobenzoyl) propyl-4-phenyl-4-propionyl-oxypiperidine (NIH 10495) were evaluated in several in vitro and in vivo tests of opioid effects. Haloperidol bound to opioid receptors with very low affinity and had no opioid agonist effects in the other test systems. Haloperidol propionate was 10 times less potent than NIH 10495 in the binding assay and in the smooth-muscle assay. Both of these haloperidol analogues decreased the rate and volume of respiration in air and in 5% CO2 with NIH 10495 being approximately 50 times more potent than haloperidol propionate. The NIH 10495, but not the haloperidol propionate, attenuated naltrexone-like discriminative stimulus effects in morphine-dependent withdrawn rhesus monkeys. Intravenously delivered NIH 10495 maintained higher rates of responding than did haloperidol propionate when evaluated for reinforcing effects. These drugs appear to have novel spectra of action that suggest possible value for this synthetic approach to the development of clinically useful analgesics and to the development of novel neuroleptics.

Use of in vivo apparent pA2 analysis in assessment of opioid abuse liability

Abuse liability testing of opioid drugs was originally motivated by attempts to separate the analgesic effects of opioids from their likelihood for abuse. It has become apparent that the human population group likely to abuse opioids has little overlap with the population group requiring opioids to treat pain, therefore there is no longer a need to separate these two properties of opioids. This is fortunate, since, as reviewed here by Jim Woods and colleagues, the results of the plethora of studies that have attempted to distinguish these two properties in known opioids strongly indicate that they are inseparable. Evaluation of the abuse potential of novel opioids remains, however, critically important in deciding on governmental restrictions on their accessibility. In addition, opioid abuse liability testing contributes enormously to our understanding of the behavioral mechanism of action of these drugs, and in surprising and helpful ways has increased our appreciation of the various test systems used to garner information about them.

Differential influence of N-dealkylation on the stimulus properties of some opioid agonists

The capacity of several opioid agonists and their N-dealkylated derivatives (normetabolites) to substitute for the discriminative and reinforcing stimulus properties of codeine was evaluated in rhesus monkeys, and the affinity of these compounds in binding to mu receptors in rhesus monkey brain membranes was determined. Heroin (0.1 mg/kg), 6-acetylmorphine (0.1 mg/kg), methadone (0.6 mg/kg), 3-acetylmorphine (1 mg/kg), morphine (1 mg/kg) and codeine (1.8 mg/kg) substituted for the codeine cue, but the normetabolites of heroin, 6-acetylmorphine, morphine and codeine did not (up to 10 mg/kg). l-alpha-Acetylmethadol (3 mg/kg) and its mono (0.1 mg/kg) and double (0.6 mg/kg) N-dealkylated derivatives all substituted. In self administration, subjects responded for morphine (0.1 mg/kg/injection) and codeine (0.3 mg/kg/injection), but not for norcodeine (up to 1 mg/kg/injection) or normophine (up to 3 mg/kg/injection). l-alpha-Acetylmethadol (up to 0.3 mg/kg/injection) did not maintain responding, but its mono (0.1 mg/kg/injection) and double (0.1 mg/kg/injection) normetabolites did. In receptor binding, the normetabolites of morphine and 6-acetylmorphine were less potent than their parent agonists in displacing [3H]Tyr-D-Ala-Gly-(Me)Phe-Gly-ol, but the normetabolites of l-alpha-acetylmethadol had greater affinity than their parent. Codeine and norcodeine were inactive in binding. If l-alpha-acetylmethadol is converted only slowly to its active normetabolites, this may explain the lack of efficacy found with this compound in the self administration procedure.

Effects of buprenorphine and other opioid agonists and antagonists on alfentanil- and cocaine-reinforced responding in rhesus monkeys

Rhesus monkeys self-administered a range of doses of either cocaine or alfentanil under a fixed-ratio 30, time out 45 sec schedule of i.v. drug delivery. Buprenorphine suppressed responding maintained by both cocaine and alfentanil; however, much larger doses of buprenorphine were required to suppress cocaine-reinforced as opposed to alfentanil-reinforced responding. Neither cocaine nor alfentanil dose-effect curves were shifted to the right by buprenorphine, but were simply shifted downward. Opioid agonists heroin and nalbuphine produced similar downward shifts in both alfentanil and cocaine dose-effect curves; unlike buprenorphine, similar doses of heroin and nalbuphine suppressed behavior maintained by both cocaine and alfentanil. Increasing doses of the pure opioid antagonist quadazocine produced shifts to the right in the alfentanil rate-maintaining dose-effect curves but had no dose-related effect on behavior maintained by cocaine. The data suggest that buprenorphine suppresses drug-maintained responding through an agonist action but that alfentanil-maintained responding is uniquely sensitive to buprenorphine's effects.

Pharmacological profile of a potent, efficacious fentanyl derivative in rhesus monkeys

The recent synthesis of fentanyl derivatives, some of which appear to have novel profiles of pharmacological effects, has provided compelling evidence that mu opioid efficacy might be altered systematically by modifications in the parent compound fentanyl. In the present study a new 4-(heteroanilido)-piperidine, compound 28, was studied for its effects in rhesus monkeys. In self-administration studies compound 28 maintained rates of lever pressing similar to those maintained by alfentanil; the reinforcing effects of compound 28 were attenuated by the opioid antagonist quadazocine. In drug discrimination studies compound 28 did not substitute for the kappa agonist ethylketocyclazocine and did substitute for the mu agonist alfentanil. In morphine-treated subjects discriminating between saline and naltrexone, compound 28 did not substitute for naltrexone; however, in morphine-abstinent subjects compound 28 reversed naltrexone lever responding. Moreover, this discriminative stimulus effect in morphine-abstinent subjects was antagonized by naltrexone and by quadazocine in a manner consistent with mu receptor mediation. Compound 28 also was an effective analgesic in a warm-water, tail-withdrawal procedure and it decreased markedly respiratory function. The analgesic effects as well as the respiratory depressant effects of compound 28 were antagonized by quadazocine. Together, these results show compound 28 to be a potent, efficacious mu agonist of similar potency to alfentanil. Large differences in apparent efficacy at mu receptors between compound 28 and another compound in this series (mirfentanil), clearly demonstrate that, within this chemical family, small chemical changes can confer significant differences in pharmacologic effect.

Analysis of fixed-ratio behavior maintained by drug reinforcers

Behavior maintained by intravenously delivered alfentanil, cocaine, or ketamine was assessed using a fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement. As the dose of each drug was increased, rate of responding also increased up to a maximum. Further increases in dose resulted in decreased response rates (inverted U-shaped curve). An analysis of postreinforcement-pause-time and run-time measures for the ascending limb of the inverted U-shaped functions revealed that behavior was characterized by systematic decreases in both pause time and run time as dose and rate increased. An examination of the descending limb of the dose-response functions revealed that lowered response rates for cocaine and ketamine were correlated with increases in run time and small and inconsistent effects on postreinforcement pause time. Behavior maintained by rate-reducing doses of alfentanil was characterized by lengthened postreinforcement pauses with small increases in run time. These data suggest that at larger doses, drug reinforcers may have unconditioned or direct effects on the behavior that the drug is maintaining, and more important, that the nature of these unconditioned effects depends on the drug that is maintaining behavior.

Mirfentanil: pharmacological profile of a novel fentanyl derivative with opioid and nonopioid effects

Mirfentanil [N-(2-pyrazinyl)-N-(1-phenethyl-4-piperidinyl)-2-furamide] was studied for its binding affinity in isolated neuronal membranes, and for its effects in vivo. In binding to opioid receptors in monkey brain membranes, mirfentanil was much more selective for mu sites (7.99 nM) than for either kappa (1428 nM) or delta (480 nM) sites as measured by displacement of [3H]DAMGO. [3H]U-69.593 or [3H]DPDPE, respectively. In morphine-treated pigeons discriminating among naltrexone, saline and morphine, mirfentanil failed to substitute for either training drug; in morphine-abstinent pigeons, mirfentanil reversed responding on the naltrexone key (i.e., reversed withdrawal). In morphine-treated monkeys discriminating between saline and naltrexone, mirfentanil substituted completely for naltrexone, and this effect was attenuated by an acute injection of morphine; mirfentanil also attenuated the withdrawal-reversing effects of alfentanil in morphine-abstinent monkeys. Administered i.v., mirfentanil maintained rates of self-administration responding only slightly below rates maintained by alfentanil, and this effect of mirfentanil was antagonized by quadazocine. Small doses of mirfentanil (0.032-0.32 mg/kg) antagonized the analgesic effects of alfentanil; larger doses of mirfentanil both antagonized the analgesic effects of alfentanil and produced analgesic effects when administered alone. The analgesic effects of mirfentanil were not attenuated by large doses of opioid antagonists. Mirfentanil had modest respiratory depressant effects that were not altered by quadazocine; however, mirfentanil antagonized the respiratory depressant effects of large doses of alfentanil. Both in vivo and in vitro, mirfentanil appears to have selectivity for opioid mu receptors. Moreover, at doses larger than those which exert opioid effects, mirfentanil has nonopioid analgesic effects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Discriminative and reinforcing effects of brotizolam in rhesus monkeys

The reinforcing and discriminative stimulus effects of brotizolam, a benzodiazepine-hypnotic, were evaluated in rhesus monkeys. In one experiment, separate groups of monkeys (N = 3 group) were trained to discriminate pentobarbital (10 mg/kg, IG) or d-amphetamine. (0.56-1.0 mg/kg, IG) from saline, in a discrete-trials avoidance/escape paradigm. Pentobarbital (5.6-10 mg/kg), diazepam (1.0-1.7 mg/kg), and brotizolam (0.3-1.7 mg/kg) resulted in 100% drug-lever responding in all three pentobarbital-trained monkeys. In d-amphetamine-trained monkeys brotizolam administration resulted only in saline-lever responding. In another experiment, monkeys were surgically prepared with indwelling intravenous catheters and lever pressing resulted in an injection of 0.1 mg/kg/injection sodium methohexital under a fixed-ratio 10 (FR 10) schedule. Pentobarbital (0.01-0.3 mg/kg/injection) and diazepam (0.003-0.10 mg/kg/injection) maintained responding above saline control levels when substituted for methohexital. Brotizolam (0.001-0.01 mg/kg/injection) resulted in more injections received compared to saline, but fewer injections compared to pentobarbital or diazepam. Thus, results from the present experiment suggest that brotizolam would have pentobarbital-like subjective effects. However, the abuse liability of brotizolam may be lower than that for diazepam.

Cocaethylene: a neuropharmacologically active metabolite associated with concurrent cocaine-ethanol ingestion

High concentrations of cocaethylene (EC), the ethyl ester of benzoylecgonine, were measured in the blood of individuals who had concurrently used cocaine and ethanol. Since the powerful reinforcing effects of cocaine appear to be dependent on inhibition of dopamine reuptake in brain, we compared the effects of EC on the dopamine uptake system and its behavioral effects with those of cocaine. EC was equipotent to cocaine with respect to inhibition of binding of [3H]GBR 12935 to the dopamine reuptake complex, inhibition of [3H]dopamine uptake into synaptosomes and in its ability to increase extracellular dopamine concentration in the nucleus accumbens following its systemic administration to rats. Moreover, in rats, EC and cocaine each increased locomotor activity and rearing to the same extent following i.p. administration. In self-administration studies in primates, EC was approximately equipotent to cocaine in maintaining responding. The in vivo formation of this active, transesterified ethyl homolog of cocaine may contribute to the effects and consequences of combined cocaine and ethanol abuse.

Drug-reinforced responding: rapid determination of dose-response functions

Rhesus monkeys were conditioned to press on levers and receive intravenous infusions of cocaine or ketamine. Experimental conditions provided several different doses of drug during each of two daily 130 min sessions; as a result, a dose-response curve relating rate of responding to dose/injection for self-administered drug was obtained within each session. Relative rate-maintaining effects of nomifensine and cocaine in monkeys on baseline conditions of cocaine self-administration, and rate-maintaining effects of ketamine, phencyclidine and MK-801 in monkeys on baseline conditions of ketamine self-administration, compared favorably with relative rate-maintaining effects of these substances obtained in more traditional paradigms.

Effects of ethanol withdrawal on ethanol-reinforced responding in rhesus monkeys

Rhesus monkeys self-administered ethanol intravenously during daily, 3-h sessions. When ethanol-reinforced responding was stable and ethanol intake was in the range of 2.6-3.6 g/kg/3 h, physiological dependence to ethanol was induced by daily passive infusions of additional ethanol. In less than 1 week, mild to moderate withdrawal signs were observed prior to daily sessions. Ethanol intake was suppressed in the presence of these withdrawal signs and returned to normal only after withdrawal signs had subsided.

Receptor mechanisms of opioid drug discrimination

Receptor theory of opioid action has provided an extremely useful interpretive framework for the discriminative stimulus effects of opioids. By and large, receptor theory has been applied to opioid actions as they are measured in in vitro and reflex systems. It is clear, however, that it can also assist in interpreting data from experiments addressing operantly conditioned behavior, and provide a link between these data and those obtained using other procedures. The current paper describes the criteria that can be used to determine whether a drug effect is receptor mediated and applies these criteria to the effects of mu and kappa opioids in drug-discrimination studies. Criteria for distinguishing between drug effects occurring through one, as opposed to two, receptor systems are described and again applied to the discriminative stimulus effects of mu and kappa opioids. The potential difficulties that can be caused by postreceptor variability and the presence of multiple receptor systems are noted, since they can modify the effects predicted from simple receptor theory, and are likely to play an important role when studies of opioid action are made in the whole animal. In discrimination studies, complicating variables include dose of the training drug, subject species, nature of the training drug, and context of the discrimination. Finally, the ability of receptor theory to guide future investigation of the phenomenon of partial generalization is explored.