Self-Administration of Fentanyl-Alprazolam Combinations by Rhesus Monkeys Responding under a Progressive-Ratio Schedule

Abstract

This study evaluated the reinforcing effects of fentanyl, alone or in combination with the benzodiazepine alprazolam, in rhesus monkeys (3 females, 3 males). Subjects were trained to self-administer the opioid remifentanil (0.3 µg/kg/injection) under a progressive-ratio schedule of reinforcement. The reinforcing effects of fentanyl (0.1-10 µg/kg/injection) or alprazolam (1.0-100 µg/kg/injection) alone, or in combinations of fixed proportions (1:1, 1:3, and 3:1 fentanyl:alprazolam, with 1:1 based on the potencies of drugs alone) were evaluated in single-day test sessions (with double determinations). Dose-equivalence analysis was used to determine the extent to which fentanyl and alprazolam combinations differed from additivity. Fentanyl functioned as a positive reinforcer in all monkeys, while alprazolam was a reinforcer in 3 of 6 monkeys only. Therefore, drug combination data were grouped as "alprazolam-taking" and "non-alprazolam-taking" monkeys. For alprazolam-taking monkeys, we observed additive effects for the 3:1 and 1:3 combinations, and a significant supra-additive interaction for the 1:1 combination of fentanyl and alprazolam. For 2 of the 3 non-alprazolam-taking monkeys, the combination of fentanyl and alprazolam resulted in enhanced reinforcing effects relative to either drug alone. However, the one monkey showed primarily inhibitory, or suppressive effects, with the 3:1 dose combination resulting in a relatively modest rightward shift in the fentanyl dose-response function. In summary, our findings show that combining fentanyl and alprazolam generally result in proportion-dependent additive or supra-additive enhancements. These data raise the possibility that the prevalence of opioid-benzodiazepine polydrug abuse may reflect a unique enhancement of these drugs' reinforcing effects, although individual differences may exist. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Addressing the critical question of the degree to which benzodiazepines can modulate the abuse-related effects of opioids may provide improved pathways to treatment of this common form of polydrug addiction. In the present study, we show that combinations of the opioid fentanyl and the benzodiazepine alprazolam can be more reinforcing than either drug alone in a rhesus monkey model, suggesting that enhancement of reinforcement processes may underlie this prevalent form of polydrug use disorder.