EVALUATION OF DEPRENYL FOR COCAINE-LIKE DISCRIMINATIVE STIMULUS EFFECTS IN RATS

The antiparkinsonian agent l-deprenyl is metabolized to l-methamphetam ine and l-amphetamine and, at higher doses, can facilitate the release and inhibit the reuptake of dopamine. Since l-deprenyl can affect dop amine release and reuptake it was important to evaluate it for cocaine -like discriminative stimulus effects. Male Fisher rats were trained t o discriminate cocaine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) from saline in a two-lever, op erant-conditioning procedure using schedules of food-delivery or stimu lus-shock termination. l-Deprenyl (17 mg/kg, i.p.) produced full gener alization to cocaine under the food-delivery schedule but this or high er doses produced only partial generalization to cocaine under the sti mulus-shock termination schedule. d-Deprenyl produced full generalizat ion to cocaine under both schedules at i.p. doses of 5.6 to 10 mg/kg. These cocaine-like discriminative stimulus effects occur only at doses that are well above the clinically relevant dose range for l-deprenyl .