Yohimbine increases opioidseeking behavior in her

Authors: Mark K Greenwald Leslie H Lundahl Caren L Steinmiller

Publish Date: 2012/11/17

Volume: 225, Issue: 4, Pages: 811-824

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Abstract

In laboratory animals the biological stressor yohimbine α2noradrenergic autoreceptor antagonist promotes drug seeking Human laboratory studies have demonstrated that psychological stressors can increase drug craving but not that stressors alter drug seekingTen heroindependent buprenorphinestabilized 8 mg/day volunteers sampled two doses of hydromorphone 12 and 24 mg IM in counterbalanced order labeled drug A session 1 and drug B session 2 During each of six later sessions withinsubject doubleblind randomized crossover design volunteers could respond on a 12trial choice progressive ratio task to earn units 1 or 2 mg of the sampled hydromorphone dose drug A or B vs money 2 following different oral yohimbine pretreatment doses 0 162 and 324 mgBehavioral economic demand intensity and peak responding O max were significantly higher for hydromorphone 2 than 1 mg Relative to placebo yohimbine significantly increased hydromorphone demand inelasticity more so for hydromorphone 1mg units P max = 909 3647 and 3225 for placebo 162 and 324 mg yohimbine doses respectively than hydromorphone 2mg units P max = 2656 3193 and 3615 respectively Yohimbine produced significant but clinically modest dosedependent increases in blood pressure systolic ≈ 15 and diastolic ≈ 10 mmHg and opioid withdrawal symptoms and decreased opioid agonist symptoms and elated moodNIH grant R01 DA015462 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and a State of Michigan grant Joe Young Sr Funds supported this research Data for this study were obtained under registered NIH clinical trial NCT00684840 Preliminary data were presented orally at the June 2010 meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence The authors thank Dr Carl Christensen for medical screening and monitoring Ken Bates for recruiting participants and Debra Kish Joi Moore Lisa Sulkowski and Melissa Williams for experimental data collection and managementDr Greenwald has received compensation as a consultant to ReckittBenckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc the company that markets buprenorphine products Both Dr Greenwald and Dr Steinmiller have received compensation from Titan Pharmaceuticals Inc which manufactures a buprenorphine product Dr Lundahl has received compensation from Gateway Community Health Michigan and the National Football League

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