18-METHOXYCORONARIDINE AND THE HABENULO-INTERPEDUNCULAR PATHWAY

Opioid addiction is a major public health
problem and the need for new efficient therapies is
immense.18-Methoxycoronaridine (18-MC), an iboga
alkaloid congener, has been previously shown to
reduce the self-administration of several drugs of
abuse, including opioids.18-MC is a potent
antagonist of alpha3beta4 nicotinic receptors and
this now appears to be the primary mechanism of 18-
MC s action in the brain. These nicotinic receptors
are present in high densities in the nuclei of the
habenulo-interpeduncular pathway but
not in the mesolimbic pathway, known to be involved
in drug addiction.This book describes the modulation
of the mesolimbic pathway by the habenulo-
interpeduncular pathway during chronic exposure to
opioids and examines the role of 18-MC, nicotinic
receptors and acetylcholine in such modulation.This
book also illustrates the contribution of the latter
pathway in 18-MC s ability to attenuate opioid
withdrawal.The findings described in the book
provide evidence that alpha3beta4 nicotinic
receptors could be a novel target for anti-addictive
therapies.The monograph should be useful to
pharmacologists and behavioral neuroscientists.

Autorentext

Olga D. Taraschenko, MD, PhD: Studied medicine at the National Medical University (Kiev, Ukraine). Received PhD in Neuropharmacology and Neuroscience from Albany Medical College (NY, USA). Areas of research include behavioral neuroscience, pharmacology of addiction and the development of new anti-obesity drugs.

Klappentext

Opioid addiction is a major public health problem and the need for new efficient therapies is immense.18-Methoxycoronaridine (18-MC), an iboga alkaloid congener, has been previously shown to reduce the self-administration of several drugs of abuse, including opioids.18-MC is a potent antagonist of alpha3beta4 nicotinic receptors and this now appears to be the primary mechanism of 18-MC's action in the brain. These nicotinic receptors are present in high densities in the nuclei of the habenulo-interpeduncular pathway but not in the mesolimbic pathway, known to be involved in drug addiction.This book describes the modulation of the mesolimbic pathway by the habenulo-interpeduncular pathway during chronic exposure to opioids and examines the role of 18-MC, nicotinic receptors and acetylcholine in such modulation.This book also illustrates the contribution of the latter pathway in 18-MC's ability to attenuate opioid withdrawal.The findings described in the book provide evidence that alpha3beta4 nicotinic receptors could be a novel target for anti-addictive therapies.The monograph should be useful to pharmacologists and behavioral neuroscientists.