Inhibition by peripheral electric stimulation of the reinstatement of morphine-induced place preference in rats and drug-craving in heroin addicts.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that peripheral electric stimulation (PES) may suppress the reinstatement of morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in rats as well as the drug craving of detoxified heroin addicts in a frequency-dependent manner.


METHODS
CPP model of the rat was constructed with two compartment automatic CPP apparatus, and the craving of the heroin addicts was assessed with a visual analogue scale (VAS).


RESULTS
(1) PES of low frequency could prevent the drug priming- or foot shock-induced reinstatement of morphine CPP; (2) this effect was naloxone-reversible, suggesting a possible involvement of endogenous opioid mechanisms; and (3) PES of low frequency could also accelerate the rate of natural decay of drug craving in heroin addicts after successful abstinence.


CONCLUSIONS
PES might serve as a therapeutic measure for the treatment of heroin addiction.
Wang
Bin
B
Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China.
Zhang
Benguo
B
Ge
Xuecai
X
Luo
Fei
F
Han
Jisheng
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects*; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation
D009270:Naloxone; D009020:Morphine