Ethological analysis of scopolamine treatment or pretreatment in morphine dependent rats.
Although scopolamine is currently used to treat morphine addiction in humans, its extensive actions on behaviors have not been systematically analyzed yet, and the underlying mechanisms of its effects still remain ambiguous. The present study was carried out to clarify the possible mechanisms by evaluating the effects of scopolamine pretreatment and treatment on naloxone-precipitated withdrawal signs and some of other general behaviors in morphine dependent rats. Our results showed that scopolamine pretreatment and treatment attenuated naloxone-precipitated withdrawal signs including jumping, writhing posture, weight loss, genital grooming, teeth-chattering, ptosis, diarrhea and irritability, except for wet dog shakes, while general behaviors such as water intake, urine volume and morphine excretion in urine were increased. Our findings suggest that scopolamine has significant actions in the treatment of opiate addiction, which might result from increasing morphine excretion from urine.
Xiang
Xiao-Hui
XH
Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases (Xi'an Jiaotong University), Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China. xiaohuixiang@163.com
Wang
Hui-Ling
HL
Wu
Wei-Ran
WR
Guo
Yuan
Y
Cao
Dong-Yuan
DY
Wang
Hui-Sheng
HS
Zhao
Yan
Y
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001526:Behavioral Symptoms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004326:Drinking / Q000187:drug effects; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005010:Ethology / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000633:toxicity*; D009021:Morphine Dependence / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009270:Naloxone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009294:Narcotics / Q000633:toxicity*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009294:Narcotics; D009270:Naloxone; D009020:Morphine; D012601:Scopolamine