Application of Electrophysiological Method to Study Interactions between Ibogaine and Cocaine

• Published in: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2000-09, Vol.914 (1), p.387-393
• Main Authors: BINIENDA, ZBIGNIEW, BEAUDOIN, MICHAEL A., THORN, BRETT T., SADOVOVA, NATALYA, SKINNER, ROBERT D., SLIKKER JR, WILLIAM, ALI, SYED F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid - metabolism; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Brain Chemistry - drug effects; Cerebral Cortex - drug effects; Cocaine - pharmacology; Dopamine - metabolism; Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors - pharmacology; Drug Interactions; Electroencephalography - methods; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists - pharmacology; Homovanillic Acid - metabolism; Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid - metabolism; Ibogaine - pharmacology; Male; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Serotonin - metabolism; Time Factors; Wakefulness
• ISSN: 0077-8923; 1749-6632
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2000.tb05212.x

The psychoactive indole alkaloid, ibogaine (IBO), has been investigated for over a decade concerning its reported anti‐addictive properties for opioids as well as psychomotor stimulants. The mechanism for the anti‐addictive action of IBO is still unclear. IBO interactions with opioid, NMDA, nicotinic, adrenergic, and serotonergic receptor sites have been suggested. The involvement of the dopaminergic system in IBO action is well documented. Increased or decreased levels of dopamine (DA) in specific brain regions following IBO pretreatment have been seen concomitantly with increased or decreased motor activity after subsequent amphetamine or cocaine administration. In this report, in vivo electrophysiological measures were monitored in awake adult male rats in order to investigate alterations of the electrocorticogram (ECoG) resulting from interactions between IBO and cocaine (COC). Rats were implanted bilaterally with bipolar ECoG electrodes. They were either injected with saline, COC alone (20 mg/kg, i.p.) or IBO (50 mg/kg, i.p.) and COC 1 hr later. The concentrations of DA, 5‐HT, and their metabolites DOPAC, HVA, and 5‐HIAA were assessed in the caudate nucleus in separate groups of saline‐, COC‐, and IBO/COC‐treated rats. An alpha1 power increase was observed within 10 min after COC injection, which lasted for less than 20 min. A desynchronization over alpha2 and both beta power bands was observed throughout the recording. In IBO/COC‐treated rats, a significant increase in delta, theta, and alpha1 power occurred within 20 min after COC injection (p