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Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Effects of Selective Opioid Receptor Antagonists on Alcohol-Induced and Nicotine-Induced Antinociception
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research (OnlineEarly Articles). 5 June 2007

Despite synergistic increases in risks of various cancers, the incidence of concomitant smoking and drinking remains high. An additive or synergistic analgesic effect of combined alcohol and nicotine may contribute to their coabuse.

Recently, we provided evidence that doses of alcohol and nicotine that are ineffective in inducing an antinociceptive effect alone, when combined, can induce such an effect. Moreover, this antinociceptive effect could be attenuated by pretreatment with the nonselective opioid antagonist naloxone.

The purpose of this study was to determine the role of selective opioid receptor subtypes (μ, δ, and κ) in mediating the antinociceptive effects of alcohol, nicotine, and their combination.

The data suggest the utility of all 3 opioid antagonists in blocking the effects of alcohol, nicotine, or their combination in spinally mediated antinociception. Although the supraspinally mediated antinociception was also attenuated by the opioid antagonists, further investigation of combination doses of these antagonists in fully blocking the supraspinal effects or attenuating voluntary alcohol and nicotine intake is warranted.

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Reprint Request E-mail: ytizabi@howard.edu

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