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Orexin / hypocretin 1 receptor antagonist reduces heroin self‐administration and cue‐induced heroin seeking
Author(s) -
Smith Rachel J.,
AstonJones Gary
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2012.08013.x
Subject(s) - orexin , heroin , self administration , antagonist , orexin receptor , psychology , orexin a , addiction , pharmacology , neuropeptide , medicine , neuroscience , receptor , drug , psychiatry
The orexin/hypocretin system is involved in several addiction‐related behaviors. In the present experiments, we examined the involvement of orexin in heroin reinforcement and relapse by administering the orexin 1 receptor antagonist SB‐334867 prior to heroin self‐administration or prior to cue‐induced or heroin‐induced reinstatement of extinguished heroin seeking in male Sprague Dawley rats. SB‐334867 (30 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) reduced heroin intake during self‐administration under fixed ratio‐1 and progressive ratio schedules. SB‐334867 also attenuated reinstatement of heroin seeking elicited by cues, but not reinstatement elicited by a heroin prime. These results indicate that orexin antagonism reduces heroin self‐administration, and they support a role for orexin in cue‐triggered drug relapse.