A body of evidence supports that excitatory amino acid systems, particularly glutamatergic one, participate in morphine dependence and naloxone-precipitated withdrawal. In this study, we examined the involvement of glial glutamate transporters, GLT-1 and GLAST, in them. Rats were rendered morphine-dependent by subcutaneous implantation of two 75 mg morphine pellets for 5 days. Intracerebroventr...

Morphine dependence is characterized by somatic and motivational signs of withdrawal that likely contribute to the maintenance of addictive behavior. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) receives extensive dopaminergic input and is an important substrate for mediating these aversive states. In the NAc, the function of the transcription factor cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) and AMPA glutama...

Recent studies have indicated that the glutamatergic system is involved in the motivational aspects during the initiation of drug self-administration. Ascorbic acid (AA), an antioxidant vitamin, is released from glutamatergic neurons, and it modulates the synaptic action of dopamine and glutamate. In this study the AA effects on the self-administration of morphine and on the morphine withdrawal...

Introduction: Previous studies have suggested that plants Avena sativa, Hypericum perforatum, Passiflora incarnata and Lavandula officinalis can affect nervous system and reduce neural excitability and pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a mixture of these four plant’s alcoholic extract on morphine withdrawal symptoms. Methods: Experiments were performed on four animal...

In the present study, the effects of intra-locus coeruleus injection of a dopamine D(1) receptor agonist (SKF38393) on naloxone-induced withdrawal signs of morphine-dependent rats were examined. Twenty different withdrawal signs were assessed. The total withdrawal score was calculated and used as an index of withdrawal intensity for comparison. The D(1) agonist and antagonist were injected 15 a...

In the present study, interactive effects of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors antagonists and different periods of lithium pretreatment on morphine dependence in mice have been investigated. This study was designed to investigate whether the hypothesis that lithium and dopaminergic mechanisms via their effects on phosphoinositide pathways and calcium flux could influence morphine withdrawal respons...

Aloe vera is a herbal medicine for skin therapeutical objects. Many products like pomade, cream, gel, and shampoo for skin injuries have been made from this plant. Sometimes, the powder of this plant has also been used by mothers to keep out their infants from breast-feeding. In some of the books, this plant has been introduced as an opioid–receptors antagonist. In this study, 30 male mice (45-...

Opioid and non-opioid effects of acute and chronic morphine administration on behaviour, cardiovascular responses, cell proliferation and apoptosis and nitric-oxide synthase (NOS) activity were studied in rats. A novel score-point scale was introduced to quantify the signs of opioid withdrawal syndrome. NOS inhibitor L-NAME (NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester) was applied to reveal the role of NO...

Chronic morphine treatment alters gene expression in brain structures. There are increasing evidences showing a correlation, in gene expression modulation, between blood cells and brain in psychological troubles. To test whether gene expression regulation in blood cells could be found in drug addiction, we investigated gene expression profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear (PBMC) cells of sal...

Pavlovian conditioning theories of drug dependence argue that drugor withdrawal-associated cues elicit motivational conditioned responses that enhance the likelihood or intensity of drugtaking behavior. The present experiment assessed whether drug-associated cues can elicit a con· ditioned withdrawal reaction in rats. In support of previous research, we found clear evidence for conditioned with...