Comparison of the discriminative stimulus effects of salvinorin A and its derivatives to U69,593 and U50,488 in rats.
Psychopharmacology April 1, 2009 Lisa E Baker, John J Panos, Bryan A Killinger et al. 57 citations
Salvinorin A, the active compound in the hallucinogenic plant Salvia divinorum, produces its effects through kappa opioid receptors. In experiments with male Sprague-Dawley rats trained to discriminate between two different kappa opioid agonists (U69,593 or U50,488), salvinorin A and two synthetic derivatives of salvinorin B fully substituted for the training drugs, indicating they produce similar internal sensations. Additional rats trained to discriminate salvinorin A also recognized the other kappa agonists. These results confirm that salvinorin A's discriminative stimulus effects are mediated by kappa receptors, supporting the potential use of salvinorin A analogs as therapeutic agents for conditions like drug dependence and mood disorders.