Jm. Witkin et Jb. Acri, EFFECTS OF IFENPRODIL ON STIMULATORY, DISCRIMINATIVE STIMULUS, AND CONVULSANT EFFECTS OF COCAINE, Behavioural pharmacology, 6(3), 1995, pp. 245-253
Ifenprodil, like cocaine, binds to the dopamine transporter and blocks
uptake of dopamine. In this study, the ability of ifenprodil to mimic
, enhance or block behavioral and toxic effects of cocaine was evaluat
ed. Fixed-interval responding maintained by food presentation In rats
was increased by cocaine but decreased by ifenprodil. Low rates of res
ponding during timeout periods were also increased by cocaine but not
ifenprodil. Ifenprodil neither increased locomotor activity nor augmen
ted the stimulatory effect of cocaine; however, ifenprodil attenuated
the stimulant effects of cocaine at doses 0.5 log unit lower than thos
e required to reduce spontaneous activity when given alone. Ifenprodil
neither substituted for nor augmented the discriminative stimulus eff
ects of cocaine in rats discriminating 10 mg/kg cocaine from saline. I
n contrast to cocaine, ifenprodil did not produce convulsions or signs
of proconvulsant activity, and ifenprodil reduced the percentage of m
ice convulsing in the presence of cocaine. These results suggest that
pharmacological actions in addition to blockade of dopamine uptake or
novel interactions with the dopamine transporter may contribute to the
non-stimulant behavioral profile and cocaine-blocking actions of ifen
prodil.