Pharmacokinetic correlates of the effects of a heroin vaccine on heroin self-administration in rats.

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a morphine-conjugate vaccine (M-KLH) on the acquisition, maintenance, and reinstatement of heroin self-administration (HSA) in rats, and on heroin and metabolite distribution during heroin administration that approximated the self-administered dosing rate. Vaccination with M-KLH blocked heroin-primed reinstatement of heroin responding. Vaccination also decreased HSA at low heroin unit doses but produced a compensatory increase in heroin self-administration at high unit doses. Vaccination shifted the heroin dose-response curve to the right, indicating reduced heroin potency, and behavioral economic demand curve analysis further confirmed this effect. In a separate experiment heroin was administered at rates simulating heroin exposure

SUBMITTER: Raleigh MD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4275252 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature