Caffeine place conditioning in rats: comparison with cocaine and ethanol

The present study employed the place conditioning technique to compare rewarding potential of caffeine with that of cocaine and ethanol. In Experiment 1 caffeine, cocaine and ethanol place conditioning were estimated independently, whereas in Experiments 2 and 3 the preference of the external cues associated with caffeine vs. cocaine and caffeine vs. ethanol was assessed in a single test. Caffeine (1.5 mg/kg, i.p.) cocaine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) and ethanol (1.2 g/kg, i.g.) did produce secondary reinforcing effects comparable in magnitude (Experiment 1). In Experiments 2 and 3 animals had the opportunity 'to compare' rewarding effects of two drugs. Data showed that the preference of cocaine-paired cues was absolutely (100%) higher than those of caffeine, whereas reinforcing actions of caffeine and ethanol seemed to be equal. The proposed modification of conditioned place preference procedure may be useful for the comparison of rewarding values of different drugs with presumed addictive potential.