title: Toxicological evaluation of mu-agonists. Part I: Assessment of toxicity following 30 days of repeated oral dosing of male and female rats with levo-alpha-acetylmethadol HCl (LAAM).
abstract: This study evaluated levo-alpha-acetylmethadol hydrochloride (LAAM), a long-acting morphine-like (mu) agonist approved in 1993 to treat opiate dependence. Sprague-Dawley rate (20/sex/group) were gavaged with doses of 3.0-33.5 mg kg-1 for 30 days followed by a 14-day drug-free recovery period. Treatment-related effects included dose-dependent CNS depression, decreased food consumption and body weight gain, reddish urine and abdominal staining. Tolerance developed by day 7. Mortality was dose-dependent; deaths occurred predominantly during the first week. Increased alanine aminotransferase (SGOT, AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), observed only in high-dose males, were associated with findings in liver. Decreases in spleen/brain weight and increases in brain/body weight ratios were seen in both sexes. Decreases in weights of heart, liver and kidney achieved statistical significance only for high-dose groups. Kidneys of mid- and high-dose groups displayed intertubular mineral/crystal deposition, focal corticomedullary mineralization and focal regenerative tubular epithelium. Centrilobular hypertrophy was observed in livers of high-dose males and mid- and high-dose females. Following the recovery period, decreased body weights and increased brain/body weight ratios occurred in mid-dose males and low-dose females. Weights of liver and kidney and organ/brain weight ratios were decreased in mid-dose males. Histopathological findings observed in kidneys and livers had abated. In summary, acute and repeated administration of LAAM produced a spectrum of activity consistent with its profile as a long-acting pure mu-agonist which stimulates microsomal enzymes in rodents. Renal and hepatic effects seen in initially drug-naive rats treated with morphine-type agonists are not observed in tolerant individuals stabilized on mu-agonists to treat opiate dependence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Borzelleca
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Egle
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Terrill
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Belleville
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008297:Male; D008692:Methadyl Acetate / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000819:agonists*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D008692:Methadyl Acetate