BACKGROUND Long-term use of opioids has acute effects on homeostasis of the body. Discovering the impacts of opioids on hematological parameters of narcotics withdrawal and dependents blood may be helpful in recognizing the homeostasis condition of their body for the useful treatment. METHODS In this study a cross-sectional method was applied. The abusers of opium and heroin for more than two...

BACKGROUND The direct effect of some opioids on immune cells has been demonstrated. The aim of this study was to assess the apoptotic effect of opium on Jurkat T lymphocyte cells. METHODS Different concentrations of opium (2.86 × 10-3 to 2.86 × 10-11 g/ml) were added to 24-well plates containing 5 × 105 Jurkat cells. Apoptotic events were assessed after 6, 24, and 72 hours by flow-cytometric ...

BACKGROUND In clinical practice, the level of sensory block in spinal anesthesia in opium abusers is lower than that in non-abusers because of adaptive changes caused by opium use. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate the level of sensory block resulting from the intrathecal administration of 0.5% bupivacaine in opium abuser patients undergoing lower extremity and lower abdomin...

The paper examines the rise and fall of Golden Triangle opium-producing region, by focusing on local economic social conditions, as well international factors that have affected opium production in Myanmar (formerly Burma), Laos, Thailand. By 1970, countries produced 70 percent world’s opium, but even late 1990s, figure remained 66 percent, only today has region become less significant, a resul...

Since the 19th century, opium has been produced and consumed in the areas of Asia, currently referred to as the Golden Crescent and the Golden Triangle (1). The Golden Crescent lies in South and Southwest Asia, including districts in the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan, the adjacent Badakhshan area of Afghanistan and the Baluchistan area of Iran. The area has been the scene of tradition...

BACKGROUND Chronic opioid treatment in animal models has shown to alter hematological parameters. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate the biological effects of opium on the number of peripheral blood cells and red blood cells (RBCs) indices in diabetic rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS Peripheral blood samples were collected from diabetic, opium-addicted, diabetic opium-addicted and ...

BACKGROUND Due to this belief that opium may have beneficial effects on diabetes or cardiovascular risk factors, the present study aimed to assess the potential and possible effects of opium consumption on diabetes control and some cardiovascular risk factors in diabetic patients. METHODS This study enrolled 374 diabetic subjects from diabetes care centers in Kerman, Iran, including opium use...

BACKGROUND Postoperative cognitive dysfunction, especially delirium commonly occurs after cardiac surgery. Clinical evidences suggest an increase in delirium in opium abusers after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgery. In this study, the prevalence of delirium in addict (opium user) and nonaddict patients after CABG were compared. METHODS In a cross-sectional study after obtaining inst...

Objective To describe an outbreak of lead poisoning among opium users in the Islamic Republic of Iran and estimate the number of affected people in the country. Methods We used data from the country's largest poison treatment centre to illustrate the epidemiology of an outbreak of lead poisoning in oral opium users. We describe the government's referral and treatment guidelines in response to...

Opium consumption is increasing in some eastern societies, where it is grown. We investigated the effect of opium smoking on plasma atherogenic index and incidence of lethal cardiac arrhythmia, i.e. ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) in rabbits. Animals were divided into two-, normo- and hyper-cholesterolemic main groups fed with normal or high cholesterol diet prior...