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Nguyen JD, Grant Y, Yang C, Gutierrez A, Taffe MA. Oxycodone Self-Administration in Female Rats is Enhanced by ∆ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol, but not by Cannabidiol, in a Progressive Ratio Procedure. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.26.564282. [PMID: 37961225 PMCID: PMC10634900 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.26.564282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological evidence suggests that the legalization of cannabis may reduce opioid-related harms. Preclinical evidence of neuropharmacological interactions of endogenous cannabinoid and opioid systems prompts further investigation of cannabinoids as potential therapeutics for the non-medical use of opioids. In these studies female rats, previously trained to self-administer oxycodone (0.15 mg/kg/infusion) intravenously in 6 h sessions, were allowed to self-administer oxycodone after exposure to cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) by vapor inhalation and THC by injection (5.0-20 mg/kg, i.p.). Self-administration was characterized under Progressive Ratio (PR) and Fixed Ratio (FR) 1 schedules of reinforcement in 3 h sessions. THC decreased IVSA of oxycodone in a FR procedure but increased reward seeking in a PR procedure. CBD decreased the IVSA of oxycodone in the FR but not the PR procedure. The results are consistent with an anti-reward effect of CBD but suggest THC acts to increase the reinforcing efficacy of oxycodone in this procedure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacques D. Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego; La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
| | - Yanabel Grant
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego; La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Celine Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego; La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Arnold Gutierrez
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego; La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael A. Taffe
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego; La Jolla, CA, USA
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Amirali AS, Hecker JC, Figueroa HM, Effinger DP, Montoro RA, Jedema HP, Vogt CD, Newman AH, Schindler CW, Bradberry CW. Effects of buprenorphine, methadone, and cariprazine on economic choice between remifentanil and food in squirrel monkeys. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 5:100065. [PMID: 36873095 PMCID: PMC9979865 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2023.100065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
We recently reported an economic choice task in which squirrel monkeys chose between differing amounts of remifentanil, a fast-acting opioid, or a food reward to develop a preclinical screen for evaluating potential pharmacotherapies for opioid dependence. Herein, two known opioid addiction treatments are evaluated using this task, as well as a potential new agent, cariprazine, a dopamine D2/D3 receptor partial agonist currently used to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Preclinical rodent studies suggest this class of compounds may reduce opiate self-administration. Squirrel monkeys were pretreated daily with clinically relevant doses of each compound during the five days of treatment evaluation using the economic choice task. Shifts in drug preference were measured as changes in subjects' indifference values, where the probability of drug and milk choice are equivalent. Buprenorphine produced a significant shift in indifference value between baseline and treatment weeks, indicating a decrease in drug preference. Subjects treated with methadone and cariprazine did not show any significant shift in drug preference. Differences between the buprenorphine and methadone results likely reflect a lack of opioid dependence in the subjects. The cariprazine results suggest that it does not alter opioid reward in non-dependent primates over a five day period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alishan S. Amirali
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jacquelin C. Hecker
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hector M. Figueroa
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Devin P. Effinger
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Rodrigo A. Montoro
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program (MTSP) at UW-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Hank P. Jedema
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Caleb D. Vogt
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Amy Hauck Newman
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Charles W. Schindler
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Charles W. Bradberry
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Carey LM, Maguire DR, France CP. Effects of Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and THC/CBD mixtures on fentanyl versus food choice in rhesus monkeys. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 244:109787. [PMID: 36753805 PMCID: PMC10697211 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.109787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There is considerable interest in utilizing cannabis-based products as adjuvants to opioid agonist therapies as phytocannabinoids like Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists appear to enhance the pain-relieving effects of opioids without enhancing problematic effects of opioids. Cannabis is a pharmacologically complex plant with hundreds of compounds, some of which may have interactive effects. Therefore, studying compounds like THC in isolation does not accurately reflect the clinical use of cannabis. METHODS This study examined the effects of THC and cannabidiol (CBD), the two most prominent compounds in cannabis, on the reinforcing effects of fentanyl in rhesus monkeys in a food versus drug choice procedure. Responding on one lever was reinforced by delivery of a sucrose pellet, and responding on another lever was reinforced by delivery of an i.v. infusion of fentanyl. In each monkey, the largest dose of fentanyl that produced less than 20 % drug choice and the smallest dose of fentanyl that produced more than 80% drug choice was determined. Effects of pretreatment with THC and CBD, alone and in mixtures, were then examined. RESULTS THC, CBD, and THC:CBD mixtures did not reliably enhance or diminish choice for fentanyl up to doses that suppressed responding in most monkeys, though some individual differences were observed, with THC and THC:CBD mixtures decreasing choice for large doses of fentanyl in one monkey and increasing choice for small doses of fentanyl in another. CONCLUSIONS Phytocannabinoids like THC and CBD, administered alone or in mixtures, do not appear to reliably alter the reinforcing effects of opioids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence M Carey
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA; Addiction Research, Treatment & Training Center of Excellence, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - David R Maguire
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA; Addiction Research, Treatment & Training Center of Excellence, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Charles P France
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA; Addiction Research, Treatment & Training Center of Excellence, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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Giorgetti A, Brunetti P, Pelotti S, Auwärter V. Detection of AP-237 and synthetic cannabinoids on an infused letter sent to a German prisoner. Drug Test Anal 2022; 14:1779-1784. [PMID: 35918775 DOI: 10.1002/dta.3351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
In the past years, new psychoactive substances (NPS) started circulating in prisons, leading to health risks and challenges for the criminal justice system. Seizures of papers and cards impregnated with synthetic cannabinoid (SCs) have been reported. In November 2021, a letter suspected to be drug-infused was sent from a German prison to this laboratory. Toxicological analyses were performed by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for drug screening and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) as well as high-performance (HP) LC with diode-array detection (DAD) for semi-quantification of the compounds. The novel synthetic opioid (NSO) AP-237 was detected on the letter, with an estimated concentration of 1.2 μg/cm2 , together with the SCs MDMB-4en-PINACA (77 μg/cm2 ) and 5F-ADB (6.5 μg/cm2 ). To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first time an NSO was detected on a drug-infused paper seized in a prison. Highly potent NSOs could easily be dissolved in organic solvents to produce impregnated papers and textiles, and this might represent a serious threat to the health of people in prison. Given the inhomogeneity in drug concentrations, health risks might in particular arise from the consumption of highly concentrated areas of the paper-so-called "hot spots"-especially when highly potent NSOs are used for infusion. Laboratories engaged in analyzing such impregnated papers should be aware of the potential presence of NSOs and adapt the respective methods accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Giorgetti
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Unit of Legal Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Institute of Forensic Medicine, Forensic Toxicology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Pietro Brunetti
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Forensic Toxicology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.,Unit of Forensic Toxicology, Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Excellence of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
| | - Susi Pelotti
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Unit of Legal Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Volker Auwärter
- Institute of Forensic Medicine, Forensic Toxicology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
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Abstract
This paper is the forty-third consecutive installment of the annual anthological review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system, summarizing articles published during 2020 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides and receptors as well as effects of opioid/opiate agonists and antagonists. The review is subdivided into the following specific topics: molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors (1), the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia in animals (2) and humans (3), opioid-sensitive and opioid-insensitive effects of nonopioid analgesics (4), opioid peptide and receptor involvement in tolerance and dependence (5), stress and social status (6), learning and memory (7), eating and drinking (8), drug abuse and alcohol (9), sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (10), mental illness and mood (11), seizures and neurologic disorders (12), electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (13), general activity and locomotion (14), gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (15), cardiovascular responses (16), respiration and thermoregulation (17), and immunological responses (18).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, 11367, United States.
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Cooper ZD, Evans SM, Foltin RW. Self-administration of inhaled delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and synthetic cannabinoids in non-human primates. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2021; 29:137-146. [PMID: 34043398 PMCID: PMC8376089 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids are abused in spite of possible adverse health consequences. The current study investigated the reinforcing effects of an ecologically relevant mode of administration (inhalation) of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive component of cannabis, and three synthetic cannabinoids detected in synthetic cannabinoid products (JWH-018, JWH-073, and HU-210) in non-human primates (NHPs). Male and female (N = 4 each) rhesus macaques were trained to inhale warm air via a metal stem to receive a candy reinforcer, an alcohol aerosol vehicle was then paired with the candy. Dose-dependent responding for inhaled aerosols of THC (2.0-16.0 μg/kg/inhalation), JWH-018 (0.2-1.6 μg/kg/inhalation), JWH-073 (2.0-8.0 μg/kg/inhalation), and HU-210 (1.0-8.0 μg/kg/inhalation) was established using a fixed-ratio five schedule of reinforcement and compared to vehicle (alcohol) self-administration. Dose-dependent responding for inhaled heroin (25.0-100.0 μg/kg/inhalation), a known reinforcer in NHPs, was also established. Responding approximated vehicle levels for many drug doses tested, but at least half of the monkeys responded for ≥ one dose of each cannabinoid and heroin above vehicle, with the exception of THC. Drug deliveries calculated as percent vehicle followed a prototypical inverted-U shaped dose-response curve for cannabinoids and heroin except for THC and JWH-018 (in males). Grouped data according to sex demonstrated that peak percent of vehicle reinforcers earned for THC was greater in males than females, whereas peak percent of vehicle reinforcers earned for JWH-018, HU-210, and heroin were greater in females than males. These findings indicate minimal reinforcing effects of CB1 receptor agonists when self-administered by NHPs via aerosol inhalation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziva D. Cooper
- UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Suzette M Evans
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard W Foltin
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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