Substance abuse is a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug use regardless of negative consequences. Incremental increases in pregabalin abuse have been observed in Saudi Arabia and throughout the world. In previous studies, the potential for pregabalin abuse with escalating doses of the drug (30, 60, 90, and 120 mg/kg) were investigated in male mice. Notably, researchers have argued that women may exhibit a greater tendency to consume drugs without a prescription to alleviate stress and depression. Moreover, female subjects are more prone to impulsivity in drug intake or abuse than their male counterparts. Therefore, in the present study, we compared the potential for pregabalin abuse between male and female mice using a conditioned place preference paradigm. Male and female BALB/c mice were divided into four groups based on the pregabalin dose administered (30, 60, 90, or 120 mg/kg, intraperitoneal). Preference scores were then calculated and compared between male and female mice in each dosage group. Interestingly, preference scores were significantly higher in female mice than in male mice at dosages of 30 and 120 mg/kg. These findings indicate that female mice may be more prone to pregabalin abuse and tolerance than male mice. These results might be helpful to the healthcare providers and policymakers to consider these sex differences in choosing therapeutic plans and consider alternatives to the misused prescription medications.

药物滥用是一种慢性、复发性疾病，其特征是强迫性药物使用，无论负面后果如何。在沙特阿拉伯和世界各地，普瑞巴林滥用率不断增加。在之前的研究中，在雄性小鼠中研究了随着药物剂量递增（30、60、90 和 120 mg/kg）滥用普瑞巴林的可能性。值得注意的是，研究人员认为，女性可能更倾向于在没有处方的情况下服用药物来缓解压力和抑郁。此外，女性受试者比男性受试者更容易冲动吸毒或滥用药物。因此，在本研究中，我们使用条件性位置偏好范式比较了雄性和雌性小鼠滥用普瑞巴林的可能性。根据普瑞巴林给药剂量（30、60、90 或 120 mg/kg，腹膜内注射）将雄性和雌性 BALB/c 小鼠分为四组。然后计算并比较每个剂量组的雄性和雌性小鼠的偏好评分。有趣的是，在 30 和 120 mg/kg 的剂量下，雌性小鼠的偏好评分显着高于雄性小鼠。这些发现表明雌性小鼠可能比雄性小鼠更容易滥用和耐受普瑞巴林。这些结果可能有助于医疗保健提供者和政策制定者在选择治疗计划时考虑这些性别差异，并考虑滥用处方药的替代方案。