EFFECT OF DOPAMINERGIC DRUGS ON COCAINE REINFORCEMENT

Neither dopamine (DA) agonists nor DA antagonists appear to be appropr iate therapeutic agents for the treatment of cocaine addiction. Howeve r, compounds that have a preferential action on the DA autoreceptor pr oduce a mixture of behavioral and biochemical effects that may prove u seful as treatments for abuse. We review the biochemical and behaviora l properties of partial D-2-receptor-specific compounds and D-3 antago nists that appear to decrease the reinforcing effects of cocaine. In r ats, drugs with higher intrinsic efficacies (agonists) appear to incre ase the motivation to self-administer cocaine, whereas those with less er intrinsic efficacy (antagonists) decrease the motivation to respond . Some of these compounds display few side effects and do not disrupt responding for food. We conclude that (-)-3-PPP, (-)-DS 121, and simil ar drugs deserve further evaluation as potential therapeutic agents fo r cocaine abuse.