Neurochemical and behavioural interactions between ibogaine and nicotine in the rat.
British journal of pharmacology February 1, 1996 M E Benwell, P E Holtom, R J Moran et al. 40 citations
Ibogaine, given to rats 22 hours earlier, reduced the nicotine-triggered increase in dopamine overflow in the nucleus accumbens, a brain region linked to reward, but did not affect nicotine-induced hyperlocomotion. Ibogaine alone caused no changes in dopamine or movement. In the elevated plus-maze test, ibogaine reduced open-arm entries in both saline- and nicotine-treated rats, suggesting anxiety-like effects, and increased total activity in nicotine-treated rats was unaffected by ibogaine. Ibogaine also altered levels of serotonin metabolites in several brain regions, with changes lasting at least 7 days. The authors suggest ibogaine may inhibit nicotine's rewarding effects but caution that its long-lasting anxiogenic effects require further study before it could be recommended for smoking cessation.