Murithi Caroline K, Kabaru Jacques M, Patel Nilesh B
Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197- 00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
Department of Human Anatomy and Medical Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 30197- 00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
IBRO Neurosci Rep. 2024 Dec 4;18:1-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2024.11.015. eCollection 2025 Jun.
Khat ( Forsk), the natural source of cathinone and other psychoactive agents, is chewed by millions of persons in eastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula for its psychostimulant effect. Using the conditioned place preference paradigm, this study tested fresh khat extract for place preference induction, extinction, and reinstatement. Female mice treated with 100 and 250 mg/kg of khat extract showed conditioned place preference, which was extinguished following a 16-day khat-free period. However, the place preference was reinstated following the first priming dose of the khat extract but not with the second priming dose done 35 days after the last conditioning treatment. The results show that khat has a rewarding/reinforcing property and can also lead to relapse behavior in persons attempting to stop khat use.
巧茶（Catha edulis Forsk）是卡西酮及其他精神活性物质的天然来源，在东非和阿拉伯半岛，数百万人咀嚼巧茶以获取其精神刺激作用。本研究采用条件性位置偏爱范式，测试了新鲜巧茶提取物对位置偏爱的诱导、消退和恢复作用。用100和250mg/kg巧茶提取物处理的雌性小鼠表现出条件性位置偏爱，在16天不接触巧茶后这种偏爱消失。然而，在首次给予巧茶提取物启动剂量后位置偏爱恢复，但在最后一次条件处理35天后给予第二次启动剂量时未恢复。结果表明，巧茶具有奖赏/强化特性，还可导致试图停止使用巧茶的人出现复发行为。
