Inhibitory effects of ibogaine on cocaine self-administration in rats.
European journal of pharmacology – September 14, 1993
Source: PubMed
Summary
A single injection of ibogaine significantly reduced cocaine intake in rats, with effects lasting over 48 hours. In a study involving multiple treatment groups, a dose of 40 mg/kg led to a notable decrease in consumption. Repeated administration over three days further decreased cocaine intake, but the most substantial effect occurred with weekly doses for three weeks. These findings suggest that ibogaine or its metabolites may provide a long-lasting solution to interrupt cocaine dependence, aligning with previous clinical observations.
Abstract
In order to determine the potential anti-addictive properties of ibogaine, we used the cocaine self-administration model in rats. The results indicate that a single injection of ibogaine (40 mg/kg i.p.) produced a significant decrease of cocaine intake, which remained unaltered for more than 48 h. Since the half-life time of ibogaine is short, this might suggest the involvement of one or several active metabolites of ibogaine in cocaine intake. Repetitive administration of ibogaine on three consecutive days also induced a pronounced decrease of cocaine intake. However, a more prominent inhibitory effect on cocaine intake was observed in animals treated repeatedly with ibogaine (40 mg/kg i.p.), once each week for 3 consecutive weeks. These results indicate that ibogaine or its metabolite(s) is a long-lasting interruptor of cocaine dependence, which supports similar observations from uncontrolled clinical studies.