The present series of studies were designed to investigate the
5-HT(2C) receptor agonist
Ro 60-0175 on
cocaine- and food-maintained behavior in the rat.
Ro 60-0175 (0.1-3 mg/kg, s.c.) reduced
cocaine (15 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced hyperactivity. This inhibitory effect of
Ro 60-0175 (1 mg/kg, s.c.) was completely blocked by pretreatment with the selective 5-HT(2C) antagonist SB 242,084 (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.). In further studies,
Ro 60-0175 (1-3 mg/kg, s.c.) reduced responding for both food (45-mg Noyes pellet) and
cocaine (0.25 mg/infusion) maintained under identical schedules of reinforcement (fixed ratio (5), time out 1 min, 60-min duration). The effect on food-maintained responding was blocked by SB 242,084 (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.).
Ro 60-0175 (0.3-3 mg/kg, s.c.) also reduced the breakpoint for
cocaine self-administration under a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement. After a period of extinction training, where
cocaine solution was substituted with saline, an acute priming injection of
cocaine (15 mg/kg, i.p.) but not
Ro 60-0175 (1 mg/kg, s.c.) reinstated
cocaine responding. In this model of relapse,
Ro 60-0175 (1-3 mg/kg, s.c.) pretreatment attenuated the priming effect of acute
cocaine injection. In a final series of studies to examine the cataleptogenic properties of
Ro 60-0175, very mild indices of
catalepsy were observed at the 3 mg/kg dose only. These
catalepsy scores were significantly lower than that produced by
haloperidol (0. 5 mg/kg, s.c.). In further tests of motor function using the Rotarod, deficits were again seen at the 3 mg/kg dose, but not at lower doses. Taken together, these studies suggest that, in addition to reducing food intake,
5-HT(2C) receptor agonists reduce
cocaine-reinforced behavior. This would be consistent with electrophysiological and biochemical evidence suggesting an important modulatory influence of
5-HT(2C) receptor activation on mesolimbic
dopamine function.