Hungry Rats Less Likely to Relapse When Given Molecule-Blocking Drug
A new study has found that food-deprived rats were less likely to return to heroin-seeking habits when given a compound that blocks specific brain receptors, which could help develop new methods of addiction treatment for humans.
Many people turn to drugs and alcohol as a response to stress, and people in recovery can relapse when they aren’t equipped with the tools they need to handle stressful situations. Previous studies have used food deprivation as the stress trigger for rats that are addicted to drugs, and have found that rats exposed to intense hunger quickly seek out drugs, mimicking the behavior of relapse in humans.
This new study found that releasing a molecule called NPY into the body during times when food is restricted also motivated rats to seek drugs. Researchers from Concordia University found that giving rats a compound that blocks the NPY receptors in the brain makes them less likely to seek out heroin. They also did not observe any side effects from the compound.
Lead author Uri Shalev, PhD, said that the study could lead to the development of a new form of drug addiction treatment, at least for addicts who also suffer from eating disorders and undergo short periods of intense hunger.
Source: Science Daily, Appetite-Related Chemical Also Affects Drug-Seeking: Hungry Rats More Resistant to Drug Relapse in Absence of Chemical Signal, November 15, 2010
