Chronic stimulation of the tone of endogenous anandamide reduces cue- and stress-induced relapse in rats.
International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology. 2014-12-19; 18(1):
DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyu025
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Chauvet C(1), Nicolas C(1), Thiriet N(1), Lardeux MV(1), Duranti A(1), Solinas M(2).
Author information:
(1)University of Poitiers, France (Drs Chauvet, Nicolas, Thiriet, Lardeux, and
Solinas); INSERM, Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory, Poitiers,
FRANCE (Drs Nicolas, Thiriet, Lardeux, and Solinas); Dipartimento di Scienze
Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Urbino « Carlo Bo, » Urbino, Italy (Dr
Duranti).
(2)University of Poitiers, France (Drs Chauvet, Nicolas, Thiriet, Lardeux, and
Solinas); INSERM, Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences Laboratory, Poitiers,
FRANCE (Drs Nicolas, Thiriet, Lardeux, and Solinas); Dipartimento di Scienze
Biomolecolari, Università degli Studi di Urbino « Carlo Bo, » Urbino, Italy (Dr
Duranti). .
Erratum in
Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2016 Apr 27;19(10):pyw031. doi:
10.1093/ijnp/pyw031.
BACKGROUND: The endogenous cannabinoid system plays an important role in
motivation, stress, and drug abuse. Pharmacologically, the endocannabinoid
system can be stimulated by either agonists of CB1 receptors or inhibition of
metabolic degradation of endogenous cannabinoids and consequent increases in
their brain levels.
METHODS: Here, we investigated whether chronic administration during a period of
withdrawal of the fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor URB597, which increases
anandamide levels, would decrease the risks of relapse to cocaine seeking. Rats
were allowed to self-administer cocaine and then they underwent forced
withdrawal for 28 days, during which they were treated with URB597 or vehicle.
One day after the last injection, we investigated cocaine seeking in one 6h
extinction session and relapse triggered by re-exposure to drug-associated cues
or a pharmacological stressor.
RESULTS: We found that administration of URB597 significantly decreases
cocaine-seeking behavior and cue- and stress-induced relapse.
CONCLUSION: These results suggest that stimulation of the endocannabinoid system
could be helpful to prevent relapse to cocaine addiction.
© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
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DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyu025
PMCID: PMC4368869
PMID: 25522382 [Indexed for MEDLINE]