title: Effect of agmatine on the development of morphine dependence in rats: potential role of cAMP system.
abstract: Agmatine is an endogenous amine derived from arginine that potentiates morphine analgesia and blocks symptoms of naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal in rats. In this study, we sought to determine whether treatment with agmatine during the development of morphine dependence inhibits the withdrawal symptoms and that the effect is mediated by cAMP system. Exposure of rats to morphine for 7 days resulted in marked naloxone-induced withdrawal symptoms and agmatine treatment along with morphine significantly decreasing the withdrawal symptoms. The levels of cAMP were markedly increased in morphine-treated rat brain slices when incubated with naloxone and this increase was significantly reduced in rats treated with morphine and agmatine. The induction of tyrosine hydroxylase after morphine exposure was also reduced in locus coeruleus when agmatine was administered along with morphine. We conclude that agmatine reduces the development of dependence to morphine and that this effect is probably mediated by the inhibition of cAMP signaling pathway during chronic morphine exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Marmara University, Hayparpasa, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Feyza
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aricioglu
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Means
authors.forename: Soundar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Regunathan
mesh_terms: D000376:Agmatine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008125:Locus Coeruleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009021:Morphine Dependence / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009270:Naloxone; D000376:Agmatine; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase