RATIONALE: Stress, a powerful precipitant of drug seeking during abstinence, may also accelerate the return to pathological patterns of intake after initial instances of drug reuse. OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of stress on a learning process underlying relapse, this study assessed the effect of yohimbine on reacquisition of oxycodone seeking. METHODS: One hundred thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent place conditioning with oxycodone (2 mg/kg, SC; ×6 days), extinction (vehicle × 6 days), and reconditioning with 0, 0.25, 2, or 5 mg/kg oxycodone (2 days). Yohimbine (0, 2.5, or 5 mg/kg, IP) was administered 30 min prior to reconditioning. RESULTS: Pretreatment with 2.5 mg/kg yohimbine increased, while 5 mg/kg yohimbine decreased, reacquisition of oxycodone-induced place preference. A follow-up study (n = 30) further indicated that the effect of yohimbine was specific to reacquisition. CONCLUSION: The observation that yohimbine can enhance reacquisition of oxycodone seeking supports the hypothesis that stress can facilitate learning processes involved in the unfolding of relapse.
RATIONALE: Stress, a powerful precipitant of drug seeking during abstinence, may also accelerate the return to pathological patterns of intake after initial instances of drug reuse. OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of stress on a learning process underlying relapse, this study assessed the effect of yohimbine on reacquisition of oxycodone seeking. METHODS: One hundred thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent place conditioning with oxycodone (2 mg/kg, SC; ×6 days), extinction (vehicle × 6 days), and reconditioning with 0, 0.25, 2, or 5 mg/kg oxycodone (2 days). Yohimbine (0, 2.5, or 5 mg/kg, IP) was administered 30 min prior to reconditioning. RESULTS: Pretreatment with 2.5 mg/kg yohimbine increased, while 5 mg/kg yohimbine decreased, reacquisition of oxycodone-induced place preference. A follow-up study (n = 30) further indicated that the effect of yohimbine was specific to reacquisition. CONCLUSION: The observation that yohimbine can enhance reacquisition of oxycodone seeking supports the hypothesis that stress can facilitate learning processes involved in the unfolding of relapse.
Authors: M Vythilingam; G M Anderson; M J Owens; T M Halaszynski; J D Bremner; L L Carpenter; G R Heninger; C B Nemeroff; D S Charney Journal: J Clin Endocrinol Metab Date: 2000-11 Impact factor: 5.958
Authors: Andrew Rosenblum; Mark Parrino; Sidney H Schnoll; Chunki Fong; Carleen Maxwell; Charles M Cleland; Stephen Magura; J David Haddox Journal: Drug Alcohol Depend Date: 2007-03-26 Impact factor: 4.492