KCNQ2/3 channel agonist flupirtine reduces cocaine place preference in ratsMooney, Jamesa; Rawls, Scott M.a,bBehavioural Pharmacology: August 2017 - Volume 28 - Issue 5 - p 405–407 doi: 10.1097/FBP.0000000000000287 Short Reports Abstract Author Information The efficacy of KCNQ2/3 channel agonists against drug reward has not been defined despite their ability to reduce locomotor-stimulant and dopamine-activating effects of psychostimulants. We tested the hypothesis that flupirtine (FLU) (2.5, 10, 20 mg/kg), a KCNQ2/3 agonist, reduces cocaine (15 mg/kg) conditioned place preference. FLU (20 mg/kg), injected concurrently with cocaine during conditioning, reduced the development of cocaine conditioned place preference. FLU (20 mg/kg) also reduced cocaine locomotor activation without affecting baseline activity. The disruption of cocaine place preference by FLU suggests that KCNQ2/3 channels influence cocaine’s rewarding effects. aCenter for Substance Abuse Research bDepartment of Pharmacology, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Correspondence to Scott M. Rawls, PhD, Department of Pharmacology, Temple University School of Medicine, 3500 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA E-mail: scott.rawls@temple.edu Received November 10, 2016 Accepted December 29, 2016 Copyright © 2017 YEAR Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
