Biomaterial Database

Naltrexone, smoking behaviour and cigarette withdrawal. 1995

G Sutherland, and J A Stapleton, and M A Russell, and C Feyerabend

Institute of Psychiatry, Health Behaviour Unit, London, UK.

In order to examine the role of endogenous opioids in the reinforcing effects of nicotine, a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over design was used to study the effects of the opiate antagonist, naltrexone, on smoking behaviour and cigarette withdrawal in 12 heavy smokers. Although naltrexone (50 mg) appeared to reduce the perceived difficulty of abstaining during 24-h cigarette withdrawal, other withdrawal symptoms were unaffected. Naltrexone also had no effect on a variety of biochemical and behavioural measures of nicotine intake or on subjective satisfaction and enjoyment from the first cigarette smoked after 24-h abstinence. Similarly naltrexone (100 mg) had no effect on smoking behaviour, nicotine intake or satisfaction from smoking during a 48-h period of ad libitum smoking. However, during the ad libitum smoking period naltrexone caused mood changes of the kind that occur during tobacco withdrawal. Since nicotine intake and smoking behaviour were unaffected, the mood changes are unlikely to have been mediated by blockade or any other form of opioid interaction with nicotinic mechanisms. These findings provide evidence against the notion that the endogenous opioids are involved in mediating the reinforcing properties of nicotine in smokers under normal conditions.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D009271	Naltrexone	Derivative of noroxymorphone that is the N-cyclopropylmethyl congener of NALOXONE. It is a narcotic antagonist that is effective orally, longer lasting and more potent than naloxone, and has been proposed for the treatment of heroin addiction. The FDA has approved naltrexone for the treatment of alcohol dependence.	Antaxone,Celupan,EN-1639A,Nalorex,Naltrexone Hydrochloride,Nemexin,ReVia,Trexan,EN 1639A,EN1639A
D009538	Nicotine	Nicotine is highly toxic alkaloid. It is the prototypical agonist at nicotinic cholinergic receptors where it dramatically stimulates neurons and ultimately blocks synaptic transmission. Nicotine is also important medically because of its presence in tobacco smoke.	Nicotine Bitartrate,Nicotine Tartrate
D012054	Reinforcement, Psychology	The strengthening of a conditioned response.	Negative Reinforcement,Positive Reinforcement,Psychological Reinforcement,Reinforcement (Psychology),Negative Reinforcements,Positive Reinforcements,Psychological Reinforcements,Psychology Reinforcement,Psychology Reinforcements,Reinforcement, Negative,Reinforcement, Positive,Reinforcement, Psychological,Reinforcements (Psychology),Reinforcements, Negative,Reinforcements, Positive,Reinforcements, Psychological,Reinforcements, Psychology
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D000339	Affect	The feeling-tone accompaniment of an idea or mental representation. It is the most direct psychic derivative of instinct and the psychic representative of the various bodily changes by means of which instincts manifest themselves.	Mood,Affects,Moods
D001519	Behavior	The observable response of a man or animal to a situation.	Acceptance Process,Acceptance Processes,Behaviors,Process, Acceptance,Processes, Acceptance
D012907	Smoking	Willful or deliberate act of inhaling and exhaling SMOKE from burning substances or agents held by hand.	Smoking Behaviors,Smoking Habit,Behavior, Smoking,Behaviors, Smoking,Habit, Smoking,Habits, Smoking,Smoking Behavior,Smoking Habits