Isradipine blocks cocaine's ability to facilitate pressing for intracranial stimulation.
Using rats pressing for rewarding electrical intracranial stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle, it was found that a single administration of isradipine blocked the rate-enhancing effects of cocaine (5.0 mg/kg) at doses of 3.0 and 10.0 mg/kg. Also, when isradipine (3.0 mg/kg) was administered alone (without cocaine) for 5 consecutive days, pressing for intracranial stimulation was not reduced relative to placebo levels. In another experiment, isradipine (3.0 mg/kg) persistently blocked the rate-enhancing effects of cocaine (5.0 mg/kg) across 5 consecutive days. These results support the continued investigation of isradipine as a useful adjunct to other treatments for cocaine addiction.
Gonzales
P M
PM
Laboratory for Psychopharmacology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180-3590, USA.
Boswell
K J
KJ
Hubbell
C L
CL
Reid
L D
LD
D000818:Animals; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000494:pharmacology; D017275:Isradipine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008474:Medial Forebrain Bundle / Q000502:physiology; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009294:Narcotics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012201:Reward; D012653:Self Stimulation / Q000187:drug effects*
D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009294:Narcotics; D003042:Cocaine; D017275:Isradipine