RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 THE EFFECTS OF THE DOPAMINE TRANSPORTER LIGANDS JJC8-088 AND JJC8-091 ON COCAINE VS. FOOD CHOICE IN RHESUS MONKEYS JF Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics JO J Pharmacol Exp Ther FD American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics SP JPET-AR-2022-001363 DO 10.1124/jpet.122.001363 A1 Rahimi, Omeed A1 Cao, Jianjing A1 Lam, Jenny A1 Childers, Steven R. A1 Rais, Rana A1 Porrino, Linda J. A1 Newman, Amy Hauck A1 Nader, Michael A. YR 2023 UL http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/early/2023/01/17/jpet.122.001363.abstract AB While there are no FDA-approved treatments for cocaine use disorder (CUD), several modafinil analogs have demonstrated promise in reducing cocaine self-administration and reinstatement in rats. Furthermore, the range of dopamine transporter (DAT) compounds provides an opportunity to develop pharmacotherapeutics without abuse liability. This study extended the comparison of JJC8-088 and JJC8-091, the former compound having higher DAT affinity and predicted abuse liability, to rhesus monkeys using a concurrent cocaine-food schedule of reinforcement. First, binding to striatal DAT was examined in cocaine-naïve monkey tissue. Next, i.v. pharmacokinetics of both JJC compounds were evaluated in cocaine-experienced male monkeys (n=3/drug). In behavioral studies, acute and chronic administration of both compounds were evaluated in these same monkeys responding under a concurrent food vs. cocaine (0, 0.003-0.1 mg/kg/injection) schedule of reinforcement. In nonhuman primate striatum, JJC8-088 had higher DAT affinity compared to JJC8-091 (14.4 {plus minus} 9 vs. 2,730 {plus minus} 1,270 nM, respectively). Both JJC compounds had favorable plasma pharmacokinetics for behavioral assessments, with half-lives (t1/2) of 1.1 h and 3.5 h for JJC8-088 (0.7 mg/kg, i.v.) and JJC8-091 (1.9 mg/kg, i.v.), respectively. Acute treatment with both compounds shifted the cocaine dose-response curve to the left. Chronic treatment with JJC8-088 decreased cocaine choice in two of the three monkeys, while JJC8-091 only modestly reduced cocaine allocation in one monkey. Differences in affinities of JJC8-091 DAT binding in monkeys compared to rat, may account for the poor rodent-to-monkey translation. Future studies should evaluate atypical DAT blockers in combination with behavioral interventions that may further decrease cocaine choice. Significance Statement Cocaine use disorder (CUD) remains a significant public health problem with no FDA-approved treatments. The ability of drugs that act in the brain in a similar manner to cocaine, but with lower abuse liability, has clinical implications for a treatment of CUD.