Chronic N-Acetylcysteine during Abstinence or Extinction after Cocaine Self-Administration Produces Enduring Reductions in Drug Seeking

• DOI: 10.1124/jpet.111.179317
• Publication Date: 2011-02-09T02:38:41Z
• Authors: Carmela M. Reichel; Khaled Moussawi; Phong H. Do; Peter W. Kalivas; Ronald E. See
• Keywords: Self-administration; Extinction (optical mineralogy)

The cysteine prodrug <i>N</i>-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been shown to reduce reinstatement of cocaine seeking by normalization glutamatergic tone. However, enduring inhibition produced NAC not explored under different withdrawal conditions. Thus, the present study determined whether chronic administered during daily extinction training or abstinence after from self-administration would seeking. Rats self-administered intravenous 2-h sessions for 12 days, followed sessions. During this period, rats received injections saline (60 100 mg/kg). Subsequently, were tested via conditioned cue, cue + cocaine-primed, and context-induced relapse. Chronic administration blunted multiple experimental protocols. Specifically, attenuated responding cocaine-primed tests context, relapse abstinence. Protection persisted well treatment was discontinued, particularly when high dose combined with trials. finding that reduced drug discontinued important implications development effective antirelapse medications. These results support recent preclinical clinical findings may serve as an inhibiting in addicts.