Aggregated single-walled carbon nanotubes attenuate the behavioural and neurochemical effects of methamphetamine in mice

Nat Nanotechnol. 2016 Jul;11(7):613-20. doi: 10.1038/nnano.2016.23. Epub 2016 Mar 14.

Abstract

Methamphetamine (METH) abuse is a serious social and health problem worldwide. At present, there are no effective medications to treat METH addiction. Here, we report that aggregated single-walled carbon nanotubes (aSWNTs) significantly inhibited METH self-administration, METH-induced conditioned place preference and METH- or cue-induced relapse to drug-seeking behaviour in mice. The use of aSWNTs alone did not significantly alter the mesolimbic dopamine system, whereas pretreatment with aSWNTs attenuated METH-induced increases in extracellular dopamine in the ventral striatum. Electrochemical assays suggest that aSWNTs facilitated dopamine oxidation. In addition, aSWNTs attenuated METH-induced increases in tyrosine hydroxylase or synaptic protein expression. These findings suggest that aSWNTs may have therapeutic effects for treatment of METH addiction by oxidation of METH-enhanced extracellular dopamine in the striatum.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal / drug effects*
  • Body Weight / drug effects
  • Corpus Striatum / chemistry
  • Corpus Striatum / drug effects*
  • Dopamine / metabolism*
  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / drug effects*
  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / metabolism
  • Eating / drug effects
  • Male
  • Methamphetamine / pharmacology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Nanotubes, Carbon*
  • Protein Binding
  • Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / drug effects
  • Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / metabolism

Substances

  • Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Nanotubes, Carbon
  • Methamphetamine
  • Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase
  • Dopamine