title: Discriminative stimulus properties of cocaine: enhancement by beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists.
abstract: Although many of the behavioral effects of cocaine are widely believed to be mediated by blockade of dopamine transporters, recent studies suggest that norepinephrine (NE) may play a modulatory role. In this study, selective and nonselective beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists were administered alone or in combination with cocaine (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) to rats trained to discriminate a low dose (2.5 mg/kg) from a high dose of cocaine (10 mg/kg) in a two-lever, FR10 drug discrimination procedure. The central beta 2/beta 1-adrenergic antagonists (-)-propranolol and tertatolol, and the beta 2-adrenergic antagonist, ICI 118,551, produced high-dose appropriate responding in a dose-related manner when administered (i.p.) in combination with the low training dose of cocaine. In contrast, neither the peripheral beta 2/beta 1-adrenergic antagonist, nadolol, nor the central beta 1-adrenergic antagonist, beta-xolol enhanced the behavioral effects of the low dose of cocaine in a manner comparable with that produced by compounds with central beta 2-adrenergic antagonist properties. Also in contrast to findings obtained using beta-adrenergic antagonists, neither the alpha 1-adrenergic agonist cirazoline, nor the alpha 2-adrenergic ligands (+/-)-efaroxan and UK-14304 enhanced the behavioral effects of the low dose of cocaine. Overall, these results suggest that central beta 2-adrenergic receptors may play a modulatory role in the discriminative stimulus effects of cocaine.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche Pierre Fabre, Castres, France.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kleven
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Koek
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000494:pharmacology; D015784:Betaxolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D000068438:Brimonidine Tartrate; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009248:Nadolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D009294:Narcotics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011412:Propanolamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D011810:Quinoxalines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000187:drug effects; D018342:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1 / Q000187:drug effects; D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2 / Q000187:drug effects; D013876:Thiophenes
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D001572:Benzofurans; D007093:Imidazoles; D009294:Narcotics; D011412:Propanolamines; D011810:Quinoxalines; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D018342:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1; D018343:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2; D013876:Thiophenes; D009248:Nadolol; C026777:ICI 118551; D000068438:Brimonidine Tartrate; D011433:Propranolol; C005632:tertatolol; C062597:efaroxan; D003042:Cocaine; D015784:Betaxolol; C014282:cirazoline