Cabergoline Marketed As Dostinex and Cabaser May Be A Treatment Option For Alcoholism
Principal Investigator Dorit Ron, PhD, at the Gallo Center and associate professor of neurology at University of California San Francisco, who also led the study, says that, “This is encouraging, because it demonstrates that cabergoline is specific for alcohol, but does not affect general reward or pleasure. One of the problems with some existing drugs to treat alcoholism is a side effect that decreases pleasure, making compliance an obstacle to sobriety.” Cabergoline looks like it could be a real option to treat alcoholics.
The pill form of Cabergoline drug has been FDA approved for use in conditions caused by the body producing excess hormone prolactin. Cabergoline aka Dostinex increased the body’s production of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDFN). Earlier findings of Ron and her colleagues had revealed that GDFN, when injected directly in the brain region linked to drug-seeking behavior, reduced the desire for alcohol in mice that were addicted to alcohol.
In the current study, rats were trained to press a lever to obtain alcohol. Once injected with the cabergoline, the test rats were less likely to use the lever. It was also found to be beneficial for reducing relapse which is usually a severe problem faced by recovering alcoholics.
Cabergoline renews hope for treating alcohol addicts, however the conduction of human clinical trials are recommended before this drug can be safely prescribed. We will keep our readers informed of any progress regarding the use of Cabergoline as a treatment for human alcoholics.
Is it possible that Cabergoline aka Dostinex or Cabaser could be a treatment for other drug addictions?
Their findings are published online in the Biological Psychiatry journal.
