Abstract
Prescription drug abuse is an issue that is rapidly growing globally. Pregabalin, an anticonvulsant, analgesic, and anxiolytic medication, is effective in the management of multiple neurological disorders; however, there is increasing concern regarding its widespread illicit use. It has been previously reported in mice that pregabalin can induce conditioned place preference. In this current investigation, the potential of pregabalin to elicit free-choice drinking in a mouse model of drug addiction, and its effect on recognition and withdrawal behaviors after forced abstinence, were studied. Twenty-two male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into three groups (n = 7–8/group); control, pregabalin-30, and pregabalin-60. The study had three phases: habituation (days 1–5) with free water access, free-choice drinking (days 6–13) with pregabalin groups receiving one water and one pregabalin bottle, and forced abstinence (days 14–21) with free water access. On day 13, the first open field test was conducted, followed by the Novel Object Recognition Test. On day 21, the second open field test was performed, followed by the Tail Suspension Test and Forced Swimming Test. Pregabalin elicited voluntary drinking in the higher-dose group, concurrently causing a decline in recognition memory performance in the novel object recognition test. Moreover, pregabalin induced withdrawal behavior after a period of forced abstinence in the forced swimming and tail suspension tests. This is the first report to establish an animal model of free-choice pregabalin drinking that may be used for further molecular studies and targeted therapy for pregabalin addiction.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.