Cocaine-Induced Reinstatement of Cocaine Seeking Provokes Changes in the Endocannabinoid and N-Acylethanolamine Levels in Rat Brain Structures
Laboratory studyOther animals
- Design
- Laboratory study
- Subjects
- Rats trained to self-administer intravenous cocaine, with yoked controls; numbers not stated in the abstract
- Dose used in the study
- No palmitoylethanolamide was given; a priming dose of cocaine 10 mg/kg intraperitoneally after extinction
- Duration
- Not stated in the abstract
- What was measured
- Anandamide, 2-AG, oleoylethanolamide and palmitoylethanolamide levels and CB1 and CB2 receptor expression in several brain regions during cocaine-induced reinstatement.
What the authors reported
The study found:
- The cocaine prime raised anandamide in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex and 2-AG in hippocampus and nucleus accumbens only in rats that had self-administered cocaine.
- NAE levels rose in cortical areas and striatum while oleoylethanolamide and palmitoylethanolamide fell in nucleus accumbens, cerebellum and/or hippocampus.
- CB1 and CB2 expression changed in a region-specific way.
Limits of this study
A rat addiction model measuring endogenous levels; no PEA was given and it cannot show effect in people. The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Source
PubMed 30901889 · doi:10.3390/molecules24061125
Entry checked against the abstract on PubMed on 2026-09-22. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.