5-HT6 antagonism attenuates cue-induced relapse to cocaine seeking without affecting cocaine reinforcement

Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2010 Aug;13(7):961-5. doi: 10.1017/S1461145710000428. Epub 2010 Apr 29.

Abstract

Re-exposure to drug-related cues elicits drug-seeking behaviour and relapse in humans even after months of abstinence. Similarly, in laboratory rats, drug-associated stimuli reinstate cocaine seeking after prolonged withdrawal periods, thus providing a model to study mechanisms underlying cocaine relapse. 5-HT6 receptors (5-HT6Rs) are abundantly expressed in brain areas such as the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex, which are critically involved in cocaine reinforcement and relapse. Nevertheless, the role of 5-HT6Rs in relapse mechanisms has not been investigated. We report here that the 5-HT6R antagonists SB-271046 and Ro-04-6790 significantly attenuate cue-induced cocaine seeking. However, effective doses of both 5-HT6R antagonists did not affect cocaine self-administration. This indicates that 5-HT6Rs are specifically involved in the secondary reinforcing properties of cocaine, leaving primary reinforcement and ability to perform an operant response unaffected. As such, 5-HT6Rs may represent a novel target for the prevention of relapse to cocaine seeking.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cocaine / administration & dosage*
  • Cocaine / metabolism
  • Cocaine-Related Disorders / drug therapy
  • Cocaine-Related Disorders / metabolism*
  • Cocaine-Related Disorders / psychology*
  • Cues
  • Male
  • Pyrimidines / pharmacology
  • Random Allocation
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Receptors, Serotonin / metabolism*
  • Recurrence
  • Reinforcement, Psychology*
  • Serotonin Antagonists / pharmacology*
  • Sulfonamides / pharmacology
  • Thiophenes / pharmacology

Substances

  • Pyrimidines
  • Receptors, Serotonin
  • Ro 4-6790
  • Serotonin Antagonists
  • Sulfonamides
  • Thiophenes
  • serotonin 6 receptor
  • Cocaine
  • SB 271046