Substance use disorders (SUDs) are ubiquitous throughout the world. However, much
remains to be done to develop pharmacotherapies that are very efficacious because
the focus has been mostly on using dopaminergic agents or opioid agonists. Herein
we discuss the potential of using potassium channel activators in SUD treatment because
evidence has accumulated to support a role of these channels in the effects of rewarding
drugs. Potassium channels regulate neuronal action potential via effects on threshold,
burst firing, and firing frequency. They are located in brain regions identified as
important for the behavioral responses to rewarding drugs. In addition, their expression
profiles are influenced by administration of rewarding substances. Genetic studies
have also implicated variants in genes that encode potassium channels. Importantly,
administration of potassium agonists have been shown to reduce alcohol intake and
to augment the behavioral effects of opioid drugs. Potassium channel expression is
also increased in animals with reduced intake of methamphetamine. Together, these
results support the idea of further investing in studies that focus on elucidating
the role of potassium channels as targets for therapeutic interventions against SUDs.
