title: The CB1 cannabinoid receptor antagonist rimonabant chronically prevents the nicotine-induced relapse to alcohol.
abstract: Preclinical and clinical research shows that the cannabinoid brain receptor type 1 (CB(1)) modulates alcohol- and nicotine-related behaviors. Throughout the nicotine-induced relapse to alcohol, the rats were pre-treated for 10 days with the CB(1) cannabinoid receptor antagonist rimonabant (0, 0.03, 0.3 and 3.0 mg/kg i.p.). In this condition, a long-lasting nicotine-induced relapse to alcohol was observed, and this effect was reversed in a dose-dependent manner with rimonabant. Surprisingly, rats that were not exposed to nicotine developed tolerance to the effects of rimonabant from the sixth day. Also, 3.0 mg/kg of rimonabant reduced the responses for sucrose. Evaluation in the Elevated Plus-Maze after nicotine treatment did not reveal anxiogenic effects. Finally, at the conclusion of rimonabant treatment, a rapid reinstatement of alcohol consumption was detected. These results suggest that rimonabant can prevent the relapse to alcohol, even when an interaction with nicotine exists-the most frequent situation in human alcohol abuse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, Campus de Somosaguas, Complutense University of Madrid, 28223 Madrid, Spain. jalopezm@psi.ucm.es
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: López-Moreno
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: González-Cuevas
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Navarro
mesh_terms: D020268:Alcohol-Induced Disorders, Nervous System / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D000818:Animals; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004347:Drug Interactions / Q000502:physiology; D004357:Drug Synergism; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000009:adverse effects; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D000077285:Rimonabant; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D013395:Sucrose / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D010880:Piperidines; D011720:Pyrazoles; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; D013395:Sucrose; D009538:Nicotine; D000077285:Rimonabant