Memantine does not block antiaggressive effects of morphine in mice.
The action of the noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor blocker memantine (5, 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg) was evaluated during social encounters in mice. Although a dose-dependent increase in locomotion was observed, only with the highest dose did it reach statistical significance. Aggressive behavior was decreased with 20 and 40 mg/kg of memantine, social contacts being increased only with 20 mg/kg. Subsequently, the effect of these memantine doses on the antiaggressive actions of morphine (10 mg/kg) was evaluated. None of the doses affected the antiaggressive action of morphine. As memantine administration produced an antiaggressive effect only at doses that affected locomotion, it is unlikely that the glutamatergic system mediates the antiaggressive actions of morphine.
Rodríguez-Arias
M
M
Area de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
Maldonado
C
C
Aguilar
M A
MA
Miñarro
J
J
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects; D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008559:Memantine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D009020:Morphine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009294:Narcotics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D009294:Narcotics; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D009020:Morphine; D008559:Memantine