Doxycycline, a widely used antibiotic, appears to lessen the combined impact of drugs such as morphine and cocaine in mice. This finding comes from researchers at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, with results published in Advances in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, commonly abbreviated as PNPBP. Source: University of Sao Paulo study, PNPBP.
The study enrolled 302 male laboratory mice to explore how doxycycline interacts with addictive drugs. The experimental design involved administering varying doses of morphine and cocaine to the animals, followed by the antibiotic. To gauge the drug’s effect, researchers used a conditioning paradigm known as conditioned place preference, or CPP, to assess the animals’ preference for environments associated with drug exposure. Source: University of Sao Paulo study, PNPBP.
In addition, the team used behavioral tracking to map how drug-related contexts influenced the mice. An apparatus with two distinct chambers—each featuring unique visual and tactile cues—served to reveal the strength of the association between the drug experience and the surrounding environment. The animals’ tendency to seek out the drug-paired compartment reflected the intensity of their addictive learning, while changes in locomotor activity after drug administration were also recorded. Source: University of Sao Paulo study, PNPBP.
Findings showed that doxycycline significantly dampened the additive effects of morphine. Mice that received the antibiotic displayed a reduced inclination to enter the chamber previously paired with drug exposure, suggesting a diminished reward response. Moreover, doxycycline appeared to hinder both the development and expression of cocaine-induced addictive behavior. The antibiotic also blocked the hyperactivity commonly observed after cocaine use. Source: University of Sao Paulo study, PNPBP.
Researchers noted that these results could inform the development of new strategies for treating drug addiction in humans. They emphasized the need to replicate the work in female mice to better assess whether the observed effects generalize across sexes. Source: University of Sao Paulo study, PNPBP.
Earlier research in related fields has continued to advance potential therapeutic avenues for other conditions, underscoring the ongoing effort to translate animal findings into human medicine. Source: University of Sao Paulo study, PNPBP.