Effect of parental morphine addiction on extracellular glutamate concentration of dentate gyrus in rat offsprings

Introduction: Evidences show that parental morphine addiction impairs CNS development, learning and memory in offsprings. Regarding the role of glutamate in dentate gyrus on learning and memory, in this study the effect of parental morphine addiction on extracellular glutamate concentration of dentate gyrus was assessed. Materials and methods: In this study 20 female and 8 male rats were addicted by oral administration (32mg/kg twice daily) of morphine for 5 days . Then the animals were exposed to20 non addicted female, and 8 non addicted male rats In pubert offsprigs. Basal and electrical stimulated (700µA and 10Hz frequency) of extracellular glutamate concentration of dentate gyrus were collected by in vivo microdialysis technique and measured using flurometric HPLC. Findings: In male offsprings of sham control1, sham control2, test1 and test2 basal and electrical stimulated of extracellular glutamate concentration of dentate gyrus were: 0.67±0.04, 1.11±0.1, and in female offsprings were 0.47±0.06, 0.88±0.05 (n=5). The basal and stimulated extra cellular glutamate concentration of dentate gyrus was decreased in both test1 and test2 offsprings. It was less in test1 than test2 offsprings. The glutamate concentration of dentate gyrus in female offsprings of test1 group was less than that of the male offsprings. conclusion: The results suggest that parental morphine addiction may cause learning deficiency through reduction of extracellular glutamate concentration in dentate gyrus so the side effects of parental morphine addiction in offsprings must be considered.