Research Interests Research conducted in my lab focuses on the in vivo pharmacology of serotonergic drugs of abuse. We are particularly interested in "emerging" street drugs, including designer hallucinogens and MDMA analogues, especially as pertains to receptor mechanisms of hallucinogen tolerance and the behavioral and pharmacological consequences thereof.
Rodent models of drug discrimination, food-maintained behavior, delayed matching to position, locomotor activity, and assays of drug-elicited behavior are employed in order to better understand the neuropharmacology of these drugs of abuse, as well as to probe biological mechanisms of drug dependence.
Similarly, in collaboration with colleagues at UAMS and at other institutions, we are using PET neuroimaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study the persistent effects of abused drugs on neurochemistry and behavior.
Finally, we participate in multi-site pre-clinical evaluations of the abuse liability of novel pharmacological entities submitted by federal, academic, and industrial sources.
Fantegrossi WE, Bauzo RM, Manvich DM, Morales JC, Votaw JR, Goodman MM and Howell LL (2009) Role of dopamine transporters in the behavioral effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in nonhuman primates. Psychopharmacology (in press).
Goeders JE, Murnane KS, Banks ML and Fantegrossi WE (2009) Escalation of food-maintained responding and sensitivity to the locomotor stimulant effects of cocaine in mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 93(1):67-74.
Ko MC, Woods JH, Fantegrossi WE, Galuska CM, Wichmann J and Prinssen EP (2009) Behavioral Effects of a Synthetic Agonist Selective for Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ Peptide Receptors in Monkeys. Neuropsychopharmacology (in press).
Fantegrossi WE, Murai N, Mathúna BO, Pizarro N and de la Torre R (2009) Discriminative stimulus effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and its enantiomers in mice: pharmacokinetic considerations. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 329(3):1006-1015.
Negus SS and Fantegrossi W (2008) Overview of conference on preclinical abuse liability testing: current methods and future challenges. Drug Alcohol Depend 92(1-3):301-306.
Fantegrossi WE (2008) In vivo pharmacology of MDMA and its enantiomers in rhesus monkeys. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 16(1):1-12.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
4301 West Markham Street, Slot 611
Little Rock, AR 72205
(501) 686-5510
Contact: Webmaster.
