Abstract
β-CIT (also designated RTI-55) is one of a series of 2β-carbomethoxy-3β-phenyltropane cocaine analogues that have recently been synthesized for characterizing the dopamine transporter and its function. The present study was designed to examine the behavioral effects of β-CIT in rhesus monkeys. Two monkeys were allowed to self-administer cocaine (0.01 or 0.03 mg/kg/inj, IV, fixed-ratio 10, 1 h/day) in baseline sessions. When behavior was stable, β-CIT (0.0007-0.003 mg/kg/inj, IV) was made available for self-administration for several consecutive sessions. β-CIT maintained responding above saline levels in both monkeys. Two other monkeys were trained to discriminate cocaine (0.2 or 0.4 mg/kg, IM) from saline in a two-lever, food-reinforced drug discrimination paradigm. β-CIT (0.012-0.025 mg/kg, IV) fully substituted for cocaine as a discriminative stimulus. In both preparations, β-CIT was at least eightfold more potent than cocaine and had a longer duration of action. Thus, β-CIT has cocaine-like behavioral effects indicative of a functional interaction with the dopamine transporter.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 953-956 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior |
Volume | 51 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 1995 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Cocaine
- Cocaine analogues
- Dopamine transporter
- Drug discrimination
- Rhesus monkey
- Self-administration
- β-CIT
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biological Psychiatry
- Biochemistry
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Clinical Biochemistry
- Toxicology
- Pharmacology