Drug-drug discrimination: stimulus properties of drugs of abuse upon a serotonergic-dopaminergic continuum.
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior January 1997 DOI: 10.1016/s0091-3057(96)00161-x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study (drug discrimination paradigm) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 10 |
| Population | Male N/Nih rats |
| Interventions | d-amphetamine norfenfluramine LSD MDMA methcathinone 7-OH-DPAT |
| Dose | d-amphetamine 0.4 mg/kg; norfenfluramine 0.7 mg/kg; other drugs not specified |
| Topics | Serotonin |
| Key findings | LSD and MDMA generalized to the norfenfluramine-appropriate lever in a dose-responsive manner, while methcathinone and 7-OH-DPAT generalized to the amphetamine-appropriate lever. Simultaneous administration of both training drugs produced random responding, indicating equivalent cueing strength. |
Abstract
Ten male N/Nih rats were trained to discriminate between the interoceptive cues produced by the purportedly dopaminergically-mediated drug d-amphetamine at 0.4 mg/kg intraperitoneally administered 20 min prior to training and those produced by the purportedly serotonergically-active agent norfenfluramine at 0.7 mg/kg. Once this discrimination was successfully acquired, the rats were tested with saline and with both drugs administered simultaneously and these manipulations were seen to produce random responding; indicating roughly equivalent cueing strength. Subsequently, various drugs thought to act upon serotonergic neurons, i.e., LSD and MDMA, were tested and shown to generalize in a dose-responsive manner to the norfenfluramine-appropriate lever. In contrast, the dopaminergically-active agent methcathinone and the D3 agonist 7-OH-DPAT produced generalization on the amphetamine-appropriate lever. Results are discussed in light of the increased specificity of behavioral testing available in a drug vs. drug discriminative paradigm using two drugs with different mechanisms of action.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on serotonin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psilocybin induces rapid and persistent growth of dendritic spines in frontal cortex in vivo Mice | 2021 | Observational cohort | |
| Neurotoxicity of the psychedelic amphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Rats (implied by typical neurochemical study context) | 1987 | Experimental study | |
| Psychedelics promote neuroplasticity through the activation of intracellular 5-HT2A receptors In vitro and in vivo (rodent) models | 2023 | Experimental study | |
| 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine destroy serotonin terminals in rat brain: quantification of neurodegeneration by measurement of [3H]paroxetine-labeled serotonin uptake sites. Rat brain | 1987 | Animal experiment | |
| Comparison of the monoamine transporters from human and mouse in their sensitivities to psychostimulant drugs Human and mouse dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin transporters expressed in cells | 2006 | In vitro laboratory study |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- Potentiation of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-induced dopamine release and serotonin neurotoxicity by 5-HT2 receptor agonists. European Journal of Pharmacology November 3, 1994
- Role of hypothermia in the mechanism of protection against serotonergic toxicity. I. Experiments using 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, dizocilpine, CGS 19755 and NBQX. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics February 1, 1995
- MDMA (ecstasy) inhibition of MAO type A and type B: comparisons with fenfluramine and fluoxetine (Prozac). Neuropsychopharmacology July 1994
- Attenuation of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) induced neurotoxicity with the serotonin precursors tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan. Life Sciences 1994
- Serotonergic-dopaminergic mediation of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy"). Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior December 1988
and 2 more in the library