Abstract
The present study investigated the effect of agmatine on acquisition and expression of ethanol conditioned place preference (CPP) and its modulation by imidazoline agents. Swiss albino mice were treated intraperitoneally with saline or agmatine (20-40 mg/kg) before injection of ethanol (1.25 mg/kg) during conditioning days or on a test day (20-120 mg/kg), to observe the effect on acquisition or expression of CPP, respectively. Agmatine inhibited the acquisition but not the expression of ethanol CPP. Furthermore, both the I₁ receptor antagonist, efaroxan (9 mg/kg) and the I₂ receptor antagonist, BU224 (5 mg/kg) attenuated the agmatine-induced inhibition of the ethanol CPP acquisition. In contrast, the I₂ receptor agonist, 2-BFI (5 mg/kg) and I₁ receptor agonist, moxonidine (0.4 mg/kg) alone, or a combination of their subeffective doses, significantly attenuated the effect of agmatine (20 mg/kg) on acquisition of ethanol CPP. Agmatine or imidazoline agents alone produced neither place preference nor aversion, and at the doses used in the present study did not affect locomotor activity. Thus, agmatine attenuates the acquisition of ethanol CPP at least in part by imidazoline (I₁ or I₂) receptors. In future studies, agmatine or agents acting at the imidazoline receptors could be explored for their therapeutic potential in ethanol dependence.
MeSH terms
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Agmatine / administration & dosage
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Agmatine / adverse effects
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Agmatine / antagonists & inhibitors
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Agmatine / therapeutic use*
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Alcohol Deterrents / administration & dosage
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Alcohol Deterrents / adverse effects
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Alcohol Deterrents / antagonists & inhibitors
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Alcohol Deterrents / therapeutic use
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Alcoholism / drug therapy
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Alcoholism / metabolism
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Alcoholism / physiopathology
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Alcoholism / prevention & control*
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Animals
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Anti-Anxiety Agents / administration & dosage
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Anti-Anxiety Agents / adverse effects
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Anti-Anxiety Agents / antagonists & inhibitors
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Anti-Anxiety Agents / therapeutic use
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Behavior, Addictive / etiology
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Behavior, Addictive / prevention & control
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Behavior, Animal / drug effects
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Conditioning, Classical / drug effects
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Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
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Drug Therapy, Combination / adverse effects
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Imidazoline Receptors / agonists*
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Imidazoline Receptors / antagonists & inhibitors
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Imidazoline Receptors / metabolism
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Injections, Intraperitoneal
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Male
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Mice
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Molecular Targeted Therapy*
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Monoamine Oxidase / chemistry
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Monoamine Oxidase / metabolism*
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Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / pharmacology
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Motor Activity / drug effects
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Neurotransmitter Agents / administration & dosage
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Neurotransmitter Agents / adverse effects
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Neurotransmitter Agents / antagonists & inhibitors
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Neurotransmitter Agents / therapeutic use*
Substances
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Alcohol Deterrents
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Anti-Anxiety Agents
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Imidazoline Receptors
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Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors
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Neurotransmitter Agents
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imidazoline I1 receptors
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imidazoline receptor 2
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Agmatine
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Monoamine Oxidase