Benzodiazepines are extremely important in the treatment of disorders, such as anxiety, insomnia and ethanol withdrawal. Unfortunately, these drugs have abuse and dependence liability. Other drugs are being investigated to provide therapeutic effects similar to benzodiazepines with reduced abuse or dependence liability;one possible replacement is neuroactive steroids, which have effects that are qualitatively the same as benzodiazepines under many conditions. Recent studies from this laboratory indicate that effects of neuroactive steroids in benzodiazepine-dependent monkeys could lead to new insights into how GABAA receptor function changes with benzodiazepine dependence and could provide better strategies for treating benzodiazepine withdrawal. Studies in this application are designed to explore further the behavioral effects of neuroactive steroids, discover the nature of differences between the effects of neuroactive steroids and those of benzodiazepines, investigate changes in GABAA receptor function with benzodiazepine dependence, and determine whether these differences can be exploited for clinical benefit. Studies under Aim 1 assess the ability of neuroactive steroids to reverse (Aim 1A) or prevent (Aim 1B) the discriminative, physiological, and directly observable signs of benzodiazepine withdrawal in rhesus monkeys. The unexpected effectiveness and relative potency of neuroactive steroids in acutely withdrawn benzodiazepine-dependent monkeys suggest that not all aspects of GABAA receptor function are similarly changed by benzodiazepine dependence.
Aim 2 A tests the hypothesis that affinity of negative and neutral modulators does not change as a consequence of benzodiazepine dependence.
Aim 2 B tests the hypothesis that efficacy demands at GABAA receptors will increase as a consequence of benzodiazepine dependence. Finally, because neuroactive steroids appear to have multiple mechanisms of action, the selectivity of drug discrimination is exploited to identify receptors that contribute to their behavioral effects in monkeys. Studies under Aim 3A establish stimulus control with the neuroactive steroid pregnanolone and characterize pharmacological selectivity. Drugs acting at benzodiazepine sites will be studied in combination with neuroactive steroids under Aim 3b in order to determine the role of GABAA receptors in the discriminative stimulus effects of pregnanolone. Taken together, these studies will systematically compare neuroactive steroids to benzodiazepine-site ligands between normal and benzodiazepine-dependent monkeys. These studies will improve our understanding of how GABAA receptor function changes with benzodiazepine dependence, will improve our understanding of the pharmacology of neuroactive steroids, and may lead to improved treatments for benzodiazepine withdrawal, anxiety, insomnia, and perhaps even ethanol withdrawal. Benzodiazepine withdrawal can make discontinuation of treatment difficult and is the predominant limitation to the use of these otherwise safe drugs. This grant investigates other drugs (e.g., neuroactive steroids) with particular attention to the possible advantage of these compounds in treating benzodiazepine dependence.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DA009157-15
Application #
7749049
Study Section
Neurobiology of Motivated Behavior Study Section (NMB)
Program Officer
Thomas, David A
Project Start
1995-03-15
Project End
2012-11-30
Budget Start
2009-12-01
Budget End
2010-11-30
Support Year
15
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$330,784
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio
Department
Pharmacology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
800772162
City
San Antonio
State
TX
Country
United States
Zip Code
78229
Gerak, Lisa R; France, Charles P (2014) Discriminative stimulus effects of pregnanolone in rhesus monkeys. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 231:181-90
Zanettini, Claudio; France, Charles P; Gerak, Lisa R (2014) Quantitative pharmacological analyses of the interaction between flumazenil and midazolam in monkeys discriminating midazolam: Determination of the functional half life of flumazenil. Eur J Pharmacol 723:405-9
Zanettini, Claudio; Yoon, Seong Shoon; France, Charles P et al. (2013) Acute tolerance to chlordiazepoxide qualitatively changes the interaction between flumazenil and pregnanolone and not the interaction between flumazenil and midazolam in rhesus monkeys discriminating midazolam. Eur J Pharmacol 700:159-64
Gerak, Lisa R; France, Charles P (2012) Quantitative analyses of antagonism: combinations of midazolam and either flunitrazepam or pregnanolone in rhesus monkeys discriminating midazolam. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 340:742-9
Gerak, Lisa R; France, Charles P (2011) Chronic benzodiazepine treatment does not alter interactions between positive GABA(A) modulators and flumazenil or pentylenetetrazole in monkeys. Behav Pharmacol 22:49-57
Bai, Xiang; France, Charles P; Gerak, Lisa R (2011) The discriminative stimulus effects of midazolam are resistant to modulation by morphine, amphetamine, dizocilpine, and ýý-butyrolactone in rhesus monkeys. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 217:495-504
Li, Jun-Xu; McMahon, Lance R; Gerak, Lisa R et al. (2008) Interactions between Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol and mu opioid receptor agonists in rhesus monkeys: discrimination and antinociception. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 199:199-208
Gerak, Lisa R; McMahon, Lance R; France, Charles P (2008) Acute cross tolerance to midazolam, and not pentobarbital and pregnanolone, after a single dose of chlordiazepoxide in monkeys discriminating midazolam. Behav Pharmacol 19:796-804
McMahon, Lance R; Javors, Martin A; France, Charles P (2007) Changes in relative potency among positive GABA(A) receptor modulators upon discontinuation of chronic benzodiazepine treatment in rhesus monkeys. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 192:135-45
McMahon, Lance R; Gerak, Lisa R; France, Charles P (2006) Efficacy and the discriminative stimulus effects of negative GABAA modulators, or inverse agonists, in diazepam-treated rhesus monkeys. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 318:907-13

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