title: Effects of naltrexone on cocaine- and sucrose-seeking behaviour in response to associated stimuli in rats.
abstract: The non-selective opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone reduces cocaine-induced reinstatement of drug-seeking behaviour in abstinent rats. The current study sought to determine whether the opioid system is also involved in cocaine-seeking behaviour induced by cocaine-associated stimuli in abstinent rats. Adult male rats were trained to press a lever either to self-administer cocaine or to obtain sucrose pellets in the presence of distinctive discriminative and conditioned stimuli. After a period of extinction, re-exposure to cocaine-associated cues selectively elicited robust and enduring responding at the active lever; sucrose pellet-associated cues revived seeking behaviour less pronouncedly. Pretreatment with naltrexone (0.25, 1, 2.5 mg/kg s.c., 20 min before reinstatement tests) dose dependently prevented cue-induced cocaine-seeking behaviour, whereas (2.5 mg/kg s.c.) did not affect the degree of cue-induced sucrose-seeking behaviour. These results provide the first evidence that naltrexone influences cocaine seeking induced by conditioned stimuli in abstinent rats; this effect appears selective for cocaine reinstatement as opposed to a non-drug reinforcer.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Psychopharmacology, Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche 'Mario Negri', Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Costanza
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Burattini
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burbassi
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aicardi
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cervo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D003463:Cues; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012201:Reward; D012646:Self Administration; D013395:Sucrose / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D013395:Sucrose; D009271:Naltrexone