Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2018 Feb:165:63-69.
doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2017.11.001. Epub 2017 Nov 7.

Impact of endogenous progesterone on reactivity to yohimbine and cocaine cues in cocaine-dependent women

Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Impact of endogenous progesterone on reactivity to yohimbine and cocaine cues in cocaine-dependent women

Megan M Moran-Santa Maria et al. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2018 Feb.

Abstract

Background and objective: Data from clinical and preclinical models of relapse suggest that progesterone attenuates cocaine-seeking behavior. In a recent study, we found that cocaine-dependent women reported greater subjective responses to cues that were preceded by a stressor than cocaine-dependent men. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of endogenous progesterone on the subjective and endocrine responses to a drug-paired cue that was preceded by a stressor in cocaine-dependent women.

Methods: Cocaine-dependent women with low (<4ng/ml; n=16) and high (≥4ng/ml; n=9) plasma progesterone levels received either the alpha-2 adrenergic receptor antagonist yohimbine (21.6mg) or placebo before each of two cocaine-cue exposure sessions. Participants were tested under both conditions in a counterbalanced, double-blind fashion. Data were collected after study drug administration, immediately and at 5, 30, and 60min after the cue.

Results: The anxiety response to the cue was differentially modified by progesterone levels under the two administration conditions (condition×progesterone level interaction, F1,23=9.8, p=0.005). Progesterone levels also modified the craving response to the cue differently under the placebo condition as compared to the yohimbine condition (condition×progesterone level interaction, F1,23=13.9, p=0.001). In both cases, high progesterone levels attenuated craving and anxiety response to the cue following yohimbine administration. There was no effect of progesterone levels on salivary cortisol or dehydroepiandrosterone under the placebo condition or under the yohimbine condition.

Conclusions: These preliminary data suggest that high levels of endogenous progesterone attenuate subjective responses to drug-cues that are preceded by a stressor. Importantly, these data support a growing literature demonstrating the protective effects of progesterone on the vulnerability to cocaine relapse in women.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure Statement: All authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Self-reported Anxiety and Craving following pre-treatment with yohimbine (YOH) or placebo (PBO) in the entire cohort of cocaine dependent women (A, C) as well as the sub-cohort of normally cycling cocaine dependent women (B, D); Pre-cue = immediately prior; post = (0, 5, 30, 60) minutes following completion of cue exposure.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cortisol and DHEA following pre-treatment with yohimbine (YOH) or placebo (PBO) in the entire cohort of cocaine dependent women (A, C) as well as the sub-cohort of normally cycling cocaine dependent women (B, D); Pre-cue = immediately prior; post = (0, 5, 30, 60) minutes following completion of cue exposure.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Allen AM, McRae-Clark AL, Carlson S, Saladin ME, Gray KM, Wetherington CL, McKee SA, Allen SS. Determining menstrual phase in human biobehavioral research: A review with recommendations. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2016;24(1):1–11. doi: 10.1037/pha0000057. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Anglin MD, Hser YI, McGlothlin WH. Sex differences in addict careers. 2. Becoming addicted. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 1987;13(1–2):59–71. - PubMed
    1. Anker JJ, Carroll ME. Sex differences in the effects of allopregnanolone on yohimbine-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking in rats. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2010;107(2–3):264–7. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2009.11.002. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Anker JJ, Larson EB, Gliddon LA, Carroll ME. Effects of progesterone on the reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior in female rats. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2007;15(5):472–480. doi: 10.1037/1064-1297.15.5.472. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Banna KM, Back SE, Do P, See RE. Yohimbine stress potentiates conditioned cue-induced reinstatement of heroin-seeking in rats. Behav Brain Res. 2010;208(1):144–148. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2009.11.030. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms