Abstract
Opiate addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder characterized by high rates of relapse. The γ-aminobutyric acid GABA B receptor agonist baclofen is known to affect the reinforcing effects of several drugs of abuse, including heroin, as well as to decrease cue-maintained responding for heroin, cocaine and nicotine and suppress alcohol deprivation effect in rats. Here we studied the effect of baclofen on the reinstatement of extinguished heroin-seeking behavior triggered by a priming injection of heroin in abstinent rats trained to stably self-administer heroin (30 μg/kg per infusion) under a continuous reinforcement schedule. Following extinction, the effect of non-contingent non-reinforced primings with heroin, baclofen or heroin/baclofen combination on the resumption of responding was evaluated. Results indicate that heroin priming (0.25 mg/kg) promptly reinitiated heroin-seeking behavior, an effect dose-dependently reduced by baclofen at doses (0.625 and 1.25 mg/kg) not affecting responding per sè. Importantly, baclofen did not affect locomotion either alone or in combination with heroin, dispelling any doubt as to the eliciting of possible non-specific (motor) effects. The present results show that GABA B receptor activation may reduce the propensity to resume drug-induced heroin-seeking behavior thus offering a possible approach in maintaining opiate abstinence.
Published Version
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