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Pharmacological effects of naltrexone and intravenous alcohol on craving for cigarettes among light smokers: a pilot study

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Abstract

Rationale

Although naltrexone has been widely researched in the context of drinking and smoking behaviors, with each substance studied separately, little is known about the effects of naltrexone on craving for cigarettes during alcohol intoxication.

Objectives

The present study used a within-subjects double-blind placebo-controlled design to (1) examine the effects of alcohol, administered intravenously, on craving for cigarettes; (2) test the effects of naltrexone on cigarette craving during alcohol intoxication; and (3) examine the relationship between craving for alcohol and cigarettes across rising breath alcohol concentrations (BrACs).

Materials and methods

Heavy drinking light smokers completed two counterbalanced intravenous alcohol challenge sessions, one after taking naltrexone (50 mg) for 3 days and one after taking a placebo for 3 days. During each session, participants reported on their craving for alcohol and cigarettes.

Results

Analyses revealed a significant positive effect of BrAC on urge to smoke as well as a BrAC × Medication interaction. Specifically, the linear relationship between BrAC and urge to smoke was significantly weaker in the naltrexone condition, as compared to placebo. There was also a positive association between urge to drink and urge to smoke, and this relationship was moderated by BrAC.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate that the pharmacological effects of alcohol alone induce craving for cigarettes and that naltrexone blunts the progression of craving for cigarettes during alcohol intoxication. These results highlight the potential clinical utility of naltrexone for heavy drinkers trying to quit smoking.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance of Amy Audette, Stephanie Dicristoforo, Keira Odell, and Jenifer Bishop on data collection for this project. The authors also wish to thank the staff at the General Clinical Research Center at the University of Colorado, at Boulder.

The authors would like to state that the study described in this manuscript complied with the current laws of the USA.

Grant support: This research was supported by grants from the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse to L. A. R. (AA14847) and K. E. H. (AA012238) and by a grant from the General Clinical Research Center Program of the National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health (M01-RR00051).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Muenzinger Psychology Building, 345 UCB, Boulder, CO, 80309-0345, USA

    Lara A. Ray & Kent E. Hutchison

  2. Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Lara A. Ray, Robert Miranda Jr., Christopher W. Kahler, Adam M. Leventhal, Peter M. Monti & Robert Swift

  3. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Providence, RI, USA

    Peter M. Monti & Robert Swift

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  1. Lara A. Ray
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  2. Robert Miranda Jr.
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  3. Christopher W. Kahler
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  5. Peter M. Monti
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  7. Kent E. Hutchison
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Correspondence to Lara A. Ray.

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Ray, L.A., Miranda, R., Kahler, C.W. et al. Pharmacological effects of naltrexone and intravenous alcohol on craving for cigarettes among light smokers: a pilot study. Psychopharmacology 193, 449–456 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-007-0794-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-007-0794-z

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