title: Beta-adrenergic antagonists attenuate somatic and aversive signs of opiate withdrawal.
abstract: The current studies were designed to evaluate the effectiveness of beta-adrenergic antagonists on opiate withdrawal symptoms utilizing a variety of paradigms. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were made moderately dependent on morphine with daily incremental injections. Both the nonselective beta-antagonist propranolol and the selective beta 1-antagonist atenolol, in the dose range of 5 to 20 mg/kg, were found to significantly reduce many of the somatic responses to either naloxone-precipitated or abstinence-induced withdrawal from morphine. In addition, propranolol (10 mg/kg) significantly reduced a withdrawal-induced conditioned place aversion, while atenolol was effective only at the highest dose tested (20 mg/kg). These data indicate that beta-adrenergic antagonists might be effective in the treatment of opiate addictions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health Sciences, Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102.
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aston-Jones
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D001262:Atenolol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D009294:Narcotics; D011433:Propranolol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D009294:Narcotics; D009270:Naloxone; D001262:Atenolol; D011433:Propranolol