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Updated: Jul 15, 2025
A Protocol for Measuring Cue Reactivity in a Rat Model of Cocaine Use Disorder
Published on: June 18, 2018
Esketamine Inhibits Cocaine-Seeking Behaviour Subsequent to Various Abstinence Conditions in Rats
Karolina Wydra1, Kacper Witek1, Agata Suder1
1Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smętna Street, PL-31-343 Kraków, Poland.
Background:
Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a relapsing brain disease caused by a chronic drug intake that involves neural mechanisms and psychological processes, including depression. Preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the promise of pharmacological drugs in controlling the reinstatement of cocaine by targeting the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. Recent evidence has revealed that esketamine, a (S) enantiomer of ketamine, shows a high affinity to NMDA receptors and has been used in clinical trials to treat moderate-to-severe depression.
Methods:
In the present paper, we investigated the effects of esketamine in regulating cocaine-seeking behaviour induced through the use of cocaine (10 mg/kg) or the cocaine-associated conditioned cue after a short (10 days)-lasting period of drug abstinence with extinction training, home cage or enrichment environment conditions in male rats. Furthermore, we investigated the acute effects of esketamine on locomotor activity in drug-naïve animals.
Results:
Esketamine (2.5-10 mg/kg) administered peripherally attenuated the reinstatement induced with cocaine priming or the drug-associated conditioned cue after different conditions of abstinence.
Conclusions:
These results seem to support esketamine as a candidate for the pharmacological management of cocaine-seeking and relapse prevention; however, further preclinical and clinical research is needed to better clarify esketamine's actions in CUD.
