Sertindole antagonizes morphine-, cocaine-, and methamphetamine-induced place preference in the rat.

The motivational effect of sertindole, a limbic selective antipsychotic drug, was investigated in rats using a non-biased conditioned place preference method which could reliably detect the reinforcing effects of morphine, cocaine and methamphetamine. Sertindole (0.01-1.0 mg/kg, s.c.), like haloperidol and fluphenazine, produced neither place preference nor place aversion. However, sertindole, at a dose of 1.0 mg/kg, s.c., completely abolished the place preferences induced by morphine (8.0 mg/kg, i.p.), cocaine (4.0 mg/kg, i.p.) and methamphetamine (2.0 mg/kg i.p.). These results strongly suggest that sertindole itself does not induce a rewarding effect and may have therapeutic value in the treatment of drug abuse.