Assessment of the kappa opioid agonist, salvinorin A, as a punisher of drug self-administration in monkeys.
Psychopharmacology July 1, 2014 Kevin B Freeman, Jennifer E Naylor, Thomas E Prisinzano et al.
A kappa opioid agonist, salvinorin A, can punish self-administration of cocaine and remifentanil in monkeys. In a two-lever choice design, monkeys chose between equal doses of cocaine or remifentanil, with one option mixed with varying doses of salvinorin A. Choice for the drug combined with salvinorin A decreased as its dose increased, while operant response rates were unaffected. The findings suggest that kappa agonists may have potential to curtail drug abuse when delivered contingently, such as in combination formularies for prescription medications.