The reinforcing and discriminative stimulus properties of para-ethoxy- and para-methoxyamphetamine.
The purpose of this study was two-fold: 1) to assess the degree to which para-methoxyamphetamine and para-ethoxyamphetamine maintain self-administration behavior, and 2) to determine the similarity or difference between these drugs and amphetamine in drug discrimination tests. Animals were trained to self-administer 0.3 mg/kg/infusion cocaine on a fixed-ratio 5 (FR5) schedule of reinforcement. Substitution of para-ethoxyamphetamine (PEA), para-methoxyamphetamine (PMA), or saline produced similar results; in all cases responding decreased substantially. A separate group of animals was trained to discriminate amphetamine (1 mg/kg) from saline in a fixed-ratio (FR10), food-reinforced paradigm. PEA and PMA produced only limited responding on the amphetamine-appropriate lever (maximum of approximately 30%). Both PMA and PEA had effects on response rate which were similar to those of amphetamine, although PMA had slightly greater rate-decreasing effects than the other two compounds. These data suggest that neither PMA nor PEA are reinforcing in rats, and do not possess amphetamine-like discriminative properties.
Corrigall
W A
WA
Neurobiology Section, Addiction Research Foundation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Robertson
J M
JM
Coen
K M
KM
Lodge
B A
BA
D000662:Amphetamines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects*; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects*; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012055:Reinforcement Schedule; D012646:Self Administration
D000662:Amphetamines; D006213:Hallucinogens; C065948:4-ethoxyamphetamine; D003042:Cocaine; C100230:4-methoxyamphetamine; D003913:Dextroamphetamine