The administration of atomoxetine during alcohol deprivation induces a time-limited increase in alcohol consumption after relapse.

The administration of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) typically used as antidepressants increases alcohol consumption after an alcohol deprivation period in rats. However, the appearance of this effect after the treatment with selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) has not been studied. In the present work we examined the effects of a 15-d treatment with the SNRI atomoxetine (1, 3 and 10 mg/kg, i.

Cocaine reverses the naltrexone-induced reduction in operant ethanol self-administration: the effects on immediate-early gene expression in the rat prefrontal cortex.

Naltrexone is a clinically approved medication for alcoholism. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of naltrexone co-administered with cocaine and the association of these substances with immediate-early gene expression in the rat prefrontal cortex. We used chronic operant ethanol self-administration and oral treatments prescribed for alcoholism and available in pharmacies to maximise the predictive validity in humans.

Implication of the endocannabinoid system in the locomotor hyperactivity associated with congenital hypothyroidism.

Alterations in motor functions are well-characterized features observed in humans and experimental animals subjected to thyroid hormone dysfunctions during development. Here we show that congenitally hypothyroid rats display hyperactivity in the adult life. This phenotype was associated with a decreased content of cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB(1)) mRNA in the striatum and a reduction in the number of binding sites in both striatum and projection areas.

Expression and function of CB1 receptor in the rat striatum: localization and effects on D1 and D2 dopamine receptor-mediated motor behaviors.

Cannabinoid CB1 receptors are densely expressed on striatal projection neurons expressing dopamine D1 or D2 receptors. However, the specific neuronal distribution of CB1 receptors within the striatum is not known. Previous research has established that the endocannabinoid system controls facilitation of behavior by dopamine D2 receptors, but it is not clear if endocannabinoids also modulate D1 receptor-mediated motor behavior.

The anandamide transport inhibitor AM404 reduces ethanol self-administration.

The endocannabinoid system mediates in the pharmacological actions of ethanol and genetic studies link endocannabinoid signaling to alcoholism. Drugs activating cannabinoid CB1 receptors have been found to promote alcohol consumption but their effects on self-administration of alcohol are less clear because of the interference with motor performance. To avoid this problem, a novel pharmacological approach to the study of the contribution of the cannabinoid system in alcoholism may be to use drugs that locally amplify the effects of alcohol on endogenous cannabinoids.

Cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonism markedly increases dopamine receptor-mediated stereotypies.

The contribution of the endocannabinoid system to dopamine-mediated disorganized behavior in schizophrenia is discussed. We used a model of concurrent stimulation of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors to evaluate the role of this system in dopamine-mediated stereotypies measured in a hole-board test. Pretreatment with the cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist N-(piperidin-1-yl)-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichloro-phenyl)-4-methyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide (SR141716A; 1 mg/kg) potentiated stereotyped behavior induced by coadministration of the dopamine D1 receptor agonist SKF 38393 (0.

Acute delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure facilitates quinpirole-induced hyperlocomotion.

The endogenous cannabinoid system works as a feedback signal controlling dopamine-induced facilitation of motor behaviors. The present study explored whether a single acute stimulation of CB1 cannabinoid receptors with (-)-Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, 5 mg kg(-1) i.p.