Cocaine conditioned place preference is attenuated by chronic buprenorphine treatment.
Previous research shows that buprenorphine (BUP), a mixed opioid agonist-antagonist, reduces cocaine use in humans and suppresses cocaine self-administration in monkeys. The present study found that BUP reduces cocaine's ability to condition a place preference in rats. Compared to vehicle treated rats, rats treated with BUP 2 times/day for 2 weeks spent significantly less time in the cocaine conditioned place compared to their respective saline trained controls. No conditioned place preference was shown for BUP alone. These results further implicate a role for the opioid system in cocaine use and stress the importance of differentiating chronic vs. acute opioid effects.
Substance Abuse Treatment Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519.
T A
TA
Kosten
D W
DW
Marby
E J
EJ
Nestler
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects*; D004780:Environment, Controlled; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology
D002047:Buprenorphine; D003042:Cocaine