Enhancement of conditioned place preference response to cocaine in rats following subchronic administration of 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).
In this study, we measured conditioned place preference (CPP) responses to cocaine following subchronic administration of the recreationally abused drug (+/-)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals were given either vehicle (1 ml/kg of distilled water, s.c.) or MDMA (20 mg/kg, s.c.) twice a day for 4 consecutive days. Two weeks later, CPP responses to cocaine (5, 10, or 20 mg/kg, i.p.) were measured. The MDMA-treated animals showed a significantly greater CPP response to cocaine than the vehicle-treated animals. Since conditioned place preference is believed to be a measure of appetitive behavior, these results suggest that MDMA abuse could lead to an increased vulnerability to the rewarding actions of cocaine and, hence, to increased vulnerability to cocaine addiction and dependence.
Horan
B
B
PHS Department, College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, St. John's University, Jamaica, New York 11439, USA.
Gardner
E L
EL
Ashby
C R
CR
D000818:Animals; D001066:Appetite / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012201:Reward
D003042:Cocaine; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine