Abstract
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1.
On 9 nights (2000-0800) over a 25-day period, an anise-flavored aqueous solution of etonitazene, 5 mcg/ml, was provided as the sole drinking fluid for one group of physically dependent rats (MFETZ) maintained on morphine, 200 mg/kg i.p. once daily at 0800 (hence acutely abstinent each night) and for one group of saline-injected rats (SFETZ), while only anise-flavored water was available to comparable physically dependent (MFH2O) and saline-injected (SFH2O) groups.
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2.
Beginning 3 days after abrupt and permanent termination of morphine or saline injections, all rats were tested at intervals over a period of 287 days on nocturnal (2000-0800) choice drinking from 2 tubes (positions alternated), one contained anise-flavored water and the other, plain water.
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3.
Analyses of variance on the mean volumes of each of the two fluids consumed by each rat over blocks of choice-drinking tests revealed that through the VIIth test (137th post-injection day), MFETZ drank more anise-flavored water than any other group while there were no significant differences among the groups as regards consumption of plain water.
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4.
The evidence indicates that the potency of secondary reinforcers so generated can persist long after morphine withdrawal. Some implications for problems of relapse and treatment of opioid addicts are discussed.
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This study was supported in part by USPHS grant no. MH 13194 of the National Institute of Mental Health, awarded to the Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky College of Medicine.
Formerly Biologist, NIMH Addiction Research Center, Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.A.
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Wikler, A., Pescor, F.T., Miller, D. et al. Persistent potency of a secondary (conditioned) reinforcer following withdrawal of morphine from physically dependent rats. Psychopharmacologia 20, 103–117 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00404365
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00404365