Figure 1.
Ibogaine decreases ethanol consumption. A, Ibogaine decreased ethanol consumption expressed as mean ± SEM grams of ethanol per kilogram body weight during continuous access to both ethanol and water when intake was measured 24 hr after an acute injection (F(2,16) = 5.12; p < 0.02). *p < 0.05 compared with vehicle treatment (n = 9). B, Ibogaine treatment decreased ethanol preference expressed as mean milliliters of ethanol/(ml ethanol + ml water) ± SEM (F(2,16) = 7.83; p < 0.005). *p < 0.05 compared with vehicle treatment (n = 9). C, Ibogaine did not affect sucrose preference, expressed as mean milliliters of sucrose/(ml sucrose + ml water) ± SEM, measured 24 hr after injection (F(1,8) = 0.02; p = 0.88) (n = 9). D, Ibogaine attenuated operant ethanol self-administration in rats. Systemic ibogaine injected 3 hr before the session reduced responding for oral ethanol at the ethanol-paired lever but not the inactive lever (main effect of treatment: F(1,7) = 5.77, p < 0.05; main effect of lever: F(1,7) = 15.83, p < 0.006; treatment × lever interaction: F(1,7) = 5.78, p < 0.05]. Ethanol was delivered on an FR3 reinforcement schedule. Data are shown as mean ± SEM. *p < 0.05 compared with active lever responding after vehicle treatment (n = 8). E, Enhanced ethanol intake after a period of extinction was reduced by ibogaine injected 3 hr before the reinstatement test session (main effect of treatment: F(2,12) = 10.07, p < 0.03). Data are shown as mean ± SEM. *p < 0.02 compared with baseline responding before extinction; #p < 0.002 compared with vehicle injection (n = 8). F, Data from E expressed as number of lever presses on the ethanol and inactive levers at reinstatement test. Ibogaine injected 3 hr before the reinstatement test session reduced responding for ethanol at the active lever but not the inactive lever (main effect of treatment: F(1,6) = 11.16, p < 0.02; main effect of lever: F(1,6) = 12.63, p < 0.02; treatment × lever interaction: F(1,6) = 11.08, p < 0.02). Ethanol was delivered on an FR1 reinforcement schedule. Data are shown as mean ± SEM. *p < 0.02 compared with active lever responding after vehicle injection (n = 7).