Effect of acamprosate and naltrexone, alone or in combination, on ethanol consumption

Stromberg, Michael F; Mackler, Scott A; Volpicelli, Joseph R; O'Brien, Charles P

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Volume 23, Issue 2 , Pages 109-116, February 2001

Effect of acamprosate and naltrexone, alone or in combination, on ethanol consumption

Michael F Stromberg
- Center For Studies of Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 3900 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Philadelphia VAMC, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Corresponding author. Center For Studies of Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 3900 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Tel.: +1-215-823-4325; fax: +1-215-823-5171
Scott A Mackler
- Center For Studies of Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 3900 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Philadelphia VAMC, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Joseph R Volpicelli
- Center For Studies of Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 3900 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Philadelphia VAMC, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Charles P O'Brien
- Center For Studies of Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 3900 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Philadelphia VAMC, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA

Received 7 April 2000; received in revised form 26 October 2000; accepted 2 November 2000.

Abstract

Both acamprosate and naltrexone have demonstrated clinical utility in reducing relapse to alcohol use in recovering alcoholics. The present experiments examined the effects of acamprosate and naltrexone, either alone or in combination, on basal ethanol consumption in a limited-access model with the use of outbred Wistar rats. Naltrexone, 0.1 mg/kg, significantly reduced ethanol consumption as previously reported. Acamprosate, 50 mg/kg, did not significantly reduce ethanol consumption when administered alone and provided no evidence of additive or synergistic effects when combined with naltrexone. Acamprosate, 200 mg/kg, produced a modest reduction in ethanol consumption when administered alone but no evidence of additive or synergistic effects when combined with naltrexone. From these findings, it is suggested that a combination approach of these drugs may not be any more effective than monotherapy.

Keywords: Naltrexone, Acamprosate, Ethanol, Limited access