Possible Interaction: Cocaine and Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid

“Data from research with laboratory animals indicate that cocaine self-administration can be reduced by lambda-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonists.”

“Disulfiram or gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic medications can also affect the reinforcement value or effects of cocaine or methamphetamine.”

“BACKGROUND In laboratory animals, augmentation of GABA neurotransmission results in inhibition of cocaine self-administration and inhibition of reinstatement to cocaine-seeking behaviors.”

“BACKGROUND Both GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons appear to be important modulators of the brain reward system and medications that affect GABA and glutamatergic neurotransmission may reduce the rewarding properties of cocaine and reduce cocaine craving.”

“OBJECTIVE Because cocaine enhances dopamine brain activity and dopamine signals are transferred through gamma-aminobutyric acid pathways , the authors hypothesized GABA-ergic disruption in cocaine-abusing subjects.”

“A single COC exposure reduced both GABA uptake and GAT-1 protein levels.”

“Local field potential recordings revealed that early adolescent cocaine exposure is associated with an attenuation of mPFC gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic inhibition evoked by ventral hippocampal stimulation at beta and gamma frequencies that endures throughout adulthood.”

“Previous studies have shown that dopamine neurons innervate the fast-spiking GABA interneurons in this part of the cortex, and that cocaine modulates their activity (8).”

“ Acute cocaine (1 µmol/L) application significantly decreased GABA release in all groups (naïve, ShA, and LgA rats).”

“These findings suggest that cocaine acts on GABA neurons to reduce activity‐dependent GABA release on DA neurons in the VTA, and that cocaine’s use‐dependent blockade of VTA GABA neuron VSSCs may synergize with its DAT inhibiting properties to enhance mesolimbic DA transmission implicated in cocaine reinforcement.”