Giulia Scuppa1, Andrea Cippitelli2, Lawrence Toll2, Roberto Ciccocioppo1, Massimo Ubaldi3. 1. University of Camerino, School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, Camerino, Italy. 2. Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, Department of Neuropharmacology, Port St. Lucie, FL, USA. 3. University of Camerino, School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, Camerino, Italy. Electronic address: massimo.ubaldi@unicam.it.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Alcohol and nicotine are largely co-abused. Here, we investigated whether concurrent exposure to both addictive drugs influences each other's consumption and whether varenicline attenuates alcohol consumption in the presence of nicotine. METHODS: Marchigian Sardinian alcohol-preferring (msP) rats trained to simultaneously self-administer oral alcohol (10% v/v) and intravenous nicotine (30μg/kg/inf) were used. Additional groups of rats were trained to self-administer either alcohol or nicotine. Further, msP rats were also trained to self-administer nicotine followed by 22-h/day access to alcohol and water in a two bottle free choice paradigm or water alone. The effects of varenicline (0.0, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0mg/kg, p.o.) on alcohol and nicotine consumption were tested. RESULTS: In a self-administration paradigm, msP rats showed a significantly high level of alcohol and nicotine intake when the drugs were administered alone. However, when access to both drugs occurred concomitantly, the number of nicotine infusions self-administered was significantly decreased. Nicotine self-administration was markedly reduced by varenicline regardless of whether it was self-administered alone or concurrently with alcohol. In a two bottle choice test, varenicline significantly decreased nicotine self-administration but had no influence on alcohol consumption. CONCLUSION: Varenicline is highly efficacious in decreasing nicotine self-administration either alone or in combination with alcohol. However, varenicline failed to influence both operant responding for alcohol and home-cage alcohol drinking in msP animals. Taken together, our findings suggest that the effects of varenicline could be specific to nicotine under conditions where excessive alcohol drinking is facilitated by genetic factors as in msP rats.
BACKGROUND:Alcohol and nicotine are largely co-abused. Here, we investigated whether concurrent exposure to both addictive drugs influences each other's consumption and whether varenicline attenuates alcohol consumption in the presence of nicotine. METHODS: Marchigian Sardinian alcohol-preferring (msP) rats trained to simultaneously self-administer oral alcohol (10% v/v) and intravenous nicotine (30μg/kg/inf) were used. Additional groups of rats were trained to self-administer either alcohol or nicotine. Further, msP rats were also trained to self-administer nicotine followed by 22-h/day access to alcohol and water in a two bottle free choice paradigm or water alone. The effects of varenicline (0.0, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0mg/kg, p.o.) on alcohol and nicotine consumption were tested. RESULTS: In a self-administration paradigm, msP rats showed a significantly high level of alcohol and nicotine intake when the drugs were administered alone. However, when access to both drugs occurred concomitantly, the number of nicotine infusions self-administered was significantly decreased. Nicotine self-administration was markedly reduced by varenicline regardless of whether it was self-administered alone or concurrently with alcohol. In a two bottle choice test, varenicline significantly decreased nicotine self-administration but had no influence on alcohol consumption. CONCLUSION:Varenicline is highly efficacious in decreasing nicotine self-administration either alone or in combination with alcohol. However, varenicline failed to influence both operant responding for alcohol and home-cage alcohol drinking in msP animals. Taken together, our findings suggest that the effects of varenicline could be specific to nicotine under conditions where excessive alcohol drinking is facilitated by genetic factors as in msP rats.
Authors: Susmita Chatterjee; Pia Steensland; Jeffrey A Simms; Joan Holgate; Jotham W Coe; Raymond S Hurst; Christopher L Shaffer; John Lowe; Hans Rollema; Selena E Bartlett Journal: Neuropsychopharmacology Date: 2010-11-03 Impact factor: 7.853
Authors: Liwang Liu; Linzy M Hendrickson; Melissa J Guildford; Rubing Zhao-Shea; Paul D Gardner; Andrew R Tapper Journal: Biol Psychiatry Date: 2012-11-09 Impact factor: 13.382
Authors: Douglas E Jorenby; J Taylor Hays; Nancy A Rigotti; Salomon Azoulay; Eric J Watsky; Kathryn E Williams; Clare B Billing; Jason Gong; Karen R Reeves Journal: JAMA Date: 2006-07-05 Impact factor: 56.272
Authors: H Rollema; L K Chambers; J W Coe; J Glowa; R S Hurst; L A Lebel; Y Lu; R S Mansbach; R J Mather; C C Rovetti; S B Sands; E Schaeffer; D W Schulz; F D Tingley; K E Williams Journal: Neuropharmacology Date: 2006-12-08 Impact factor: 5.250
Authors: Daina Economidou; Anita C Hansson; Friedbert Weiss; Anton Terasmaa; Wolfgang H Sommer; Andrea Cippitelli; Amalia Fedeli; Rèmi Martin-Fardon; Maurizio Massi; Roberto Ciccocioppo; Markus Heilig Journal: Biol Psychiatry Date: 2008-03-25 Impact factor: 13.382
Authors: Andrea Cippitelli; Gloria Brunori; Jennifer Schoch; Christopher J Armishaw; Jinhua Wu; Nurulain T Zaveri; Marc A Giulianotti; Gregory S Welmaker; Lawrence Toll Journal: Psychopharmacology (Berl) Date: 2018-03-23 Impact factor: 4.530
Authors: Cassie M Chandler; Sarah E Maggio; Hui Peng; Kimberly Nixon; Michael T Bardo Journal: Drug Alcohol Depend Date: 2020-04-25 Impact factor: 4.492
Authors: Robert A Waeiss; Christopher P Knight; Sheketha R Hauser; Lauren A Pratt; William J McBride; Zachary A Rodd Journal: Psychopharmacology (Berl) Date: 2019-02-13 Impact factor: 4.530
Authors: Kyu Y O'Rourke; Jillienne C Touchette; Elizabeth C Hartell; Elizabeth J Bade; Anna M Lee Journal: Neuropharmacology Date: 2016-06-21 Impact factor: 5.250