Effects of yohimbine on the antinociceptive and place conditioning effects of opioid agonists in rodents

Abstract

1. The pharmacological modulation of opioid actions by drugs acting on heterologous mechanisms could be useful to overcome some of the main problems associated with the use of opiate agonists. Based on previous findings on the interactions between yohimbine and opioid drugs, we have further studied the effects of yohimbine on the antinociceptive and positive-negative reinforcing effects of morphine (μ opioid receptor-preferring agonist), U-50,488 (κ agonist) and SNC80 (δ agonist). 2. Pretreatment with yohimbine completely blocked the antinociception provided by the three opioid agonists in the mouse tail-immersion test. 3. A similar blockade of SNC80 and U-50,488-induced antinociception was observed with yohimbine in the mouse hot plate test at the same doses. In this paradigm, the effect of the κ agonist was very slight and the actions of yohimbine rather variable. 4. In place conditioning experiments with SD (Sprague-Dawley) male rats, yohimbine alone was inactive but it limited the preference induced by morphine and SNC80 and the aversive effect of U-50,488. Impaired novelty preference was also observed with the combination of yohimbine and U-50,488. 5. It is concluded that yohimbine tends to limit opioid antinociception and the addictive potential of μ and δ opioid agonists. More selective drugs could help to understand the mechanisms involved in these actions.