Naloxone-induced opiate withdrawal produces long-lasting and context-independent changes in aggressive and social behaviors of postdependent male mice.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether an environment associated with naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal affects aggressive or social behaviors in postdependent mice. Morphine-dependent or saline-treated mice received 3 naloxone injections in 1 of 2 different environments (A or B); 15 days afterward, when the mice were completely drug free, an aggression test was carried out in Environment A. All the mice suffering morphine withdrawal showed a significant increase in aggression, irrespective of the environment in which the withdrawal took place. In these conditions, the impact of morphine dependence and the 3 induced withdrawals was so profound that the environment could not be discriminative. In addition, modifications in the behavioral profile of postdependent mice that suffered only spontaneous withdrawal were long-lasting, with the mice carrying out more attacks during social investigation without presenting threat postures.
Felip
C M
CM
Area de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Spain.
Rodríguez-Arias
M
M
Espejo
E F
EF
Miñarro
J
J
Stinus
L
L
D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects*; D000378:Agonistic Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009021:Morphine Dependence / Q000523:psychology*; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*
D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009270:Naloxone