The endogenous opioid system in cocaine addiction: what lessons have opioid peptide and receptor knockout mice taught us?

摘要: Cocaine addiction has become a major concern in the UK as Britain tops European ‘league table’ for cocaine abuse. Despite its devastating health and socio-economic consequences, no effective pharmacotherapy treating is available. Identifying neurochemical changes induced by repeated drug exposure critical not only understanding transition from recreational use towards compulsive abuse but also development of novel targets treatment disease especially relapse prevention. This article focuses on effects chronic withdrawal each endogenous opioid peptides receptors rodent models. In addition, we review studies that utilized peptide or receptor knockout mice order to identify and/or clarify role different components system cocaine-addictive behaviours cocaine-induced alterations brain neurochemistry. The these indicates region-specific activation µ-opioid following exposure, which may contribute rewarding effect possibly craving during followed relapse. causes κ-opioid receptor/dynorphin system, antagonize drug, at same time, stress-inducing properties triggering These conclusions have important implications prevention