Ultra-low-dose naltrexone reduces the rewarding potency of oxycodone and relapse vulnerability in rats

Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2005 Oct;82(2):252-62. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2005.08.008. Epub 2005 Sep 21.

Abstract

Ultra-low-dose opioid antagonists have been shown to enhance opioid analgesia and alleviate opioid tolerance and dependence. Our present studies in male Sprague-Dawley rats assessed the abuse potential of oxycodone+ultra-low-dose naltrexone (NTX) versus oxycodone alone. The lowest NTX dose (1 pg/kg/infusion), but not slightly higher doses (10 and 100 pg/kg/infusion), enhanced oxycodone (0.1 mg/kg/infusion) intravenous self-administration, suggesting a reduced rewarding potency per infusion. During tests of reinstatement performed in extinction conditions, co-self-administration of any of these three NTX doses significantly reduced drug-seeking precipitated by priming injections of oxycodone (0.25 mg/kg, s.c.), a drug-conditioned cue, or foot-shock stress. During self-administration on a progressive-ratio schedule, animals self-administering oxycodone (0.1 mg/kg/infusion)+NTX (1 pg/kg/infusion) reached a "break-point" sooner and showed a trend toward less responding compared to rats self-administering oxycodone alone (0.1 mg/kg/infusion). In the final experiment, the addition of ultra-low-dose NTX (10 pg/kg, s.c.) enhanced the acute stimulatory effect of oxycodone (1 mg/kg, s.c.), as well as locomotor sensitization produced by repeated oxycodone administration (7 x 1 mg/kg, s.c.). In summary, this work shows that ultra-low-dose NTX co-treatment augments the locomotor effects of oxycodone as it enhances opioid analgesia, but reduces oxycodone's rewarding potency and subsequent vulnerability to relapse.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Avoidance Learning / drug effects
  • Conditioning, Operant / drug effects*
  • Cues
  • Electroshock
  • Extinction, Psychological / drug effects
  • Male
  • Motor Activity / drug effects
  • Naltrexone / pharmacology*
  • Narcotic Antagonists / pharmacology*
  • Narcotics / pharmacology*
  • Oxycodone / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Oxycodone / pharmacology
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Recurrence
  • Reinforcement Schedule
  • Reward
  • Self Administration

Substances

  • Narcotic Antagonists
  • Narcotics
  • Naltrexone
  • Oxycodone