Tetrabenazine inhibition of monoamine uptake and methamphetamine behavioral effects: locomotor activity, drug discrimination and self-administration.

Tetrabenazine (TBZ), a benzoquinolizine derivative, binds with high affinity to the vesicular monoamine transporter-2 (VMAT2), inhibiting uptake of cytosolic monoamines. The current study aimed to provide preclinical evidence supporting the potential use of TBZ as a treatment for methamphetamine abuse. Effects of TBZ on function of the dopamine transporter (DAT) and serotonin transporter (SERT) in striatal and hippocampal synaptosomes, respectively, and on VMAT2 function in isolated striatal synaptic vesicles were determined. Effect of TBZ (acute, 0.1-3.0 mg/kg, s.c.; repeated, 1.0 mg/kg for 7 days) on locomotor activity in methamphetamine-sensitized rats was assessed. Ability of TBZ (0.1-3.0 mg/kg; s.c.) or vehicle to decrease the discriminative effect of methamphetamine also was determined. Ability of TBZ (acute, 0.1-1.0 mg/kg, s.c.; repeated, 0.1 or 1.0 mg/kg for 7 days) to specifically decrease methamphetamine self-administration was determined; for comparison, a separate group of rats was assessed for effects of TBZ on food-maintained responding. Results show that TBZ was 11-fold more potent inhibiting DAT than SERT, and 2.5-fold more potent inhibiting VMAT2 than DAT. Results from behavioral studies showed that the lowest dose of TBZ transiently increased methamphetamine self-administration, whereas higher TBZ doses decreased methamphetamine self-administration. Also, TBZ at high doses decreased methamphetamine locomotor sensitization and discriminative stimulus effects, as well as food-maintained responding. Thus, despite acting as a potent VMAT2 inhibitor, these preclinical results indicate that TBZ lacks behavioral specificity as an inhibitor of methamphetamine-induced reinforcement, diminishing its viability as a suitable treatment for methamphetamine abuse.

Nicotine elicits methamphetamine-seeking in rats previously administered nicotine.

Research has indicated a high correlation between psychostimulant use and tobacco cigarette smoking in human substance abusers. The objective of the current study was to examine the effects of acute and repeated nicotine administration on responding for intravenous methamphetamine (0.03 mg/kg/infusion) in a rodent model of self-administration, as well as the potential of nicotine to induce reinstatement of previously extinguished drug-taking behavior in male Sprague-Dawley rats. In addition, it was assessed whether nicotine-induced reinstatement of methamphetamine-seeking behavior and nicotine-induced locomotor sensitization require that nicotine be temporally paired with the methamphetamine self-administration session or the locomotor activity chamber. Nicotine acutely decreased methamphetamine self-administration, but did not persistently alter responding during the maintenance of methamphetamine self-administration. However, following extinction of methamphetamine self-administration, nicotine administration reinstated methamphetamine-seeking behavior only in rats that had previously been administered nicotine. Nicotine-induced reinstatement and expression of locomotor sensitization were not dependent on a temporal pairing of nicotine with either the methamphetamine self-administration session or the locomotor activity chamber, respectively. These results indicate that nicotine may be acting, at least in part, through a non-associative mechanism to reinstate methamphetamine-seeking behavior.

Effects of nornicotine enantiomers on intravenous S(-)-nicotine self-administration and cardiovascular function in rats.

RATIONALE: Previous neurochemical evidence indicates that R(+)-nornicotine is more potent than S(-)-nornicotine in evoking dopamine release in rat nucleus accumbens slices. OBJECTIVE: The current study tested the hypothesis that R(+)-nornicotine is also more potent than S(-)-nornicotine in selectively decreasing intravenous S(-)-nicotine self-administration in rats. RESULTS: After acute pretreatment (1-10 mg/kg for each enantiomer), R(+)-nornicotine was more potent than S(-)-nornicotine in decreasing S(-)-nicotine self-administration; in contrast, within the same dose range, the nornicotine enantiomers were equipotent in decreasing sucrose-maintained responding. This enantioselectivity does not likely reflect a difference in bioavailability, since similar levels of nornicotine were recovered from the brain 60 min after injection (5.6 mg/kg for each enantiomer). With repeated pretreatment, tolerance did not develop to the rate-decreasing effect of either nornicotine enantiomer (3 or 5.6 mg/kg) with respect to the decrease in S(-)-nicotine self-administration, although the enantioselectivity dissipated across repeated pretreatments. While both enantiomers acutely produced a similar increase in blood pressure and heart rate, tolerance developed to the blood pressure effects of R(+)-nornicotine, but not to the effects of S(-)-nornicotine, across repeated treatments. CONCLUSION: Both R(+)- and S(-)-nornicotine may have potential utility as a novel tobacco use cessation agent.

Effect of a novel nicotinic receptor antagonist, N,N'-dodecane-1,12-diyl-bis-3-picolinium dibromide, on nicotine self-administration and hyperactivity in rats.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE: Recent work has shown that the novel compound N,N'-dodecane-1,12-diyl-bis-3-picolinium dibromide (bPiDDB) may selectively block nicotinic acetylcholine receptors involved in regulating dopamine release. The current experiments examined the acute effect of bPiDDB on nicotine self-administration, sucrose-maintained responding, and nicotine-induced changes in acute and sensitized locomotor activity. METHODS: Rats were first trained to respond for either nicotine (i.v.) or sucrose pellets using a standard two-lever operant conditioning procedure using a fixed ratio 5 schedule of reinforcement and were then pretreated with bPiDDB (0, 0.3, 1, or 3 mg kg(-1)) 15 min prior to the session. In separate experiments, rats were assessed for nicotine-induced changes in locomotor activity following pretreatment with bPiDDB (1 or 3 mg kg(-1)) or mecamylamine (1 mg kg(-1)); pretreatments were assessed with both acute and repeated nicotine (0.4 mg kg(-1)) treatment. RESULTS: Results showed that bPiDDB dose-dependently decreased nicotine self-administration, but not sucrose-maintained responding. In the locomotor experiments, bPiDDB attenuated the hyperactivity produced by acute and repeated nicotine; however, this effect was not robust compared to mecamylamine. In contrast to mecamylamine, bPiDDB did not block the initial hypoactivity produced by acute nicotine. CONCLUSION: Since bPiDDB decreased nicotine self-administration specifically, this novel nicotinic receptor antagonist may constitute a lead for the development of a clinically useful treatment for tobacco dependence.