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Updated: Aug 21, 2026

A Procedure to Study the Effect of Prolonged Food Restriction on Heroin Seeking in Abstinent Rats
Published on: November 11, 2013
Cannabinoid receptor antagonist reduces heroin self-administration only in dependent rats
Miguel Navarro1, M Rocio A Carrera, Ignacio Del Arco
1Instituto Complutense de Drogodependencias, Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain. mnavarro@psi.ucm.es
Abstract:
Functionality of the endogenous cannabinoid system undergoes relevant changes in reward-related brain areas in animal models of opiate addiction. By using a limited access heroin self-administration paradigm we show that cannabinoid CB(1) receptor antagonist N-(piperidin-1-yl)-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxamide hydrochloride (SR141716A, 0.03-3.0 mg/kg) suppresses heroin self-administration only in opiate-dependent rats but not in non-dependent animals. These results further support the study of cannabinoid CB(1) receptor antagonists for the treatment of opiate addiction.
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