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Acamprosate's ethanol intake-reducing effect is associated with its ability to increase dopamine
PeiPei Chau1, Helga H Lidö1, Bo Söderpalm2
1Addiction Biology Unit, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
|September 30, 2018
Summary
Acamprosate, used to reduce alcohol cravings, affects dopamine levels in the brain. Tolerance to acamprosate diminishes its effectiveness in reducing alcohol intake and altering dopamine.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Acamprosate is an anti-craving medication that influences dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens (nAc).
- Glycine receptors in the nAc are implicated in acamprosate's effects on dopamine and alcohol intake reduction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interaction between ethanol and acamprosate on dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens.
- To determine if dopaminergic transmission is linked to acamprosate's ethanol intake-reducing effects.
Main Methods:
- In vivo microdialysis was used to measure extracellular dopamine levels in rat nucleus accumbens.
- Studies involved acute and chronic administration of acamprosate and ethanol in different rat models.
Main Results:
- Acamprosate elevated dopamine and blocked ethanol-induced dopamine increases in naïve and short-term pre-treated rats.
- Long-term acamprosate pre-treatment led to tolerance, losing both dopamine-elevating and ethanol intake-reducing effects, while restoring ethanol's dopamine-elevating property.
Conclusions:
- Acamprosate may initially substitute for ethanol's dopamine-elevating effect.
- Tolerance to acamprosate's dopamine-elevating action coincides with a loss of its efficacy in reducing alcohol consumption.