Inhibitory effects of ibogaine on cocaine self-administration in rats.

In order to determine the potential anti-addictive properties of ibogaine, we used the cocaine self-administration model in rats. The results indicate that a single injection of ibogaine (40 mg/kg i.p.) produced a significant decrease of cocaine intake, which remained unaltered for more than 48 h. Since the half-life time of ibogaine is short, this might suggest the involvement of one or several active metabolites of ibogaine in cocaine intake. Repetitive administration of ibogaine on three consecutive days also induced a pronounced decrease of cocaine intake. However, a more prominent inhibitory effect on cocaine intake was observed in animals treated repeatedly with ibogaine (40 mg/kg i.p.), once each week for 3 consecutive weeks. These results indicate that ibogaine or its metabolite(s) is a long-lasting interruptor of cocaine dependence, which supports similar observations from uncontrolled clinical studies.