title: The effects of piracetam on heroin-induced CPP and neuronal apoptosis in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Piracetam is a positive allosteric modulator of the AMPA receptor that has been used in the treatment of cognitive disorders for decades. Recent surveys and drug analyses have demonstrated that a heroin mixture adulterated with piracetam has spread rapidly in heroin addicts in China, but its addictive properties and the damage it causes to the central neural system are currently unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effect of piracetam on the reward properties of heroin was assessed by conditioned place preference (CPP). Electron microscopy and radioimmunoassay were used to compare the effects of heroin mixed with equivalent piracetam (HP) and heroin alone on neuronal apoptosis and the levels of beta-endorphin (β-EP) in different brain subregions within the corticolimbic system, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Piracetam significantly enhanced heroin-induced CPP expression while piracetam itself didn't induce CPP. Morphological observations showed that HP-treated rats had less neuronal apoptosis than heroin-treated group. Interestingly, HP normalized the levels of β-EP in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and core of the nucleus accumbens (AcbC) subregions, in where heroin-treated rats showed decreased levels of β-EP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that piracetam potentiate the heroin-induced CPP and protect neurons from heroin-induced apoptosis. The protective role of HP might be related to the restoration of β-EP levels by piracetam. Our findings may provide a potential interpretation for the growing trend of HP abuse in addicts in China.
authors: School of Pharmaceutical Science, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China; Drug Intelligence and Forensic Center, Ministry of Public Security, Beijing 100193, PR China.
authors: Peng
authors: P
authors: Xu
authors: School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China.
authors: Min
authors: M
authors: Li
authors: Drug Intelligence and Forensic Center, Ministry of Public Security, Beijing 100193, PR China.
authors: Yanping
authors: Y
authors: Bai
authors: School of Pharmaceutical Science, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Lu
authors: School of Pharmaceutical Science, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China. Electronic address: lingxm@bjmu.edu.cn.
authors: Xiaomei
authors: X
authors: Ling
authors: School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, PR China. Electronic address: lwdpharma@126.com.
authors: Weidong
authors: W
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001245:Association Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D002681:China; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects*; D003932:Heroin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010889:Piracetam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012201:Reward; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018697:Nootropic Agents; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D003932:Heroin; D010889:Piracetam
keywords: CPP; Corticolimbic system; Electron microscope; Heroin mixture; Piracetam; β-EP