Attenuation of precipitated abstinence in methadone-dependent rats by delta 9-THC.
Racemic methadone hydrochloride was administered to male rats in daily subcutaneous injections of 10-30 mg/kg. Dependence, when assessed by naloxone challenge after 26 days, was quantitatively and qualitatively similar to that previously reported by us for rats implanted with a 75 mg morphine pellet for 72 hours. Abstinence scores in animals pretreated acutely with 10 mg/kg delta 9-THC one hour before naloxone were significantly less than those of a vehicle control group, and wet shakes and gastrointestinal signs of abstinence were blocked. These results extend previous observations of morphine abstinence attenuating properties of delta 9-THC to effects on animals dependent on methadone.
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002188:Cannabis / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone; D009021:Morphine Dependence / Q000188:drug therapy; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D008517:Phytotherapy; D051381:Rats; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*
D009270:Naloxone; D013759:Dronabinol; D008691:Methadone