| Background: Long-term exposure to opiates
such is morphine induces dependence.
Purpose: The purpose of the present study was
to investigate the eff ects of the acute administration
of pioglitazone, a selective agonist of peroxisome
proliferator activated receptors gamma
(PPAR-γ), on the morphine withdrawal syndrome
in the rat.
Methods: Male Wistar rats (200–250 g) were
selected randomly and divided into 8 groups
including 2 non-dependent groups and 6 morphine-
dependent groups which were received
additive doses of morphine subcutaneously at an
interval of 12 h for 9 continuous days. On the
ninth day, only the morning dose of morphine
was injected and 2 h later, morphine withdrawal
was precipitated by naloxone and then ten distinct
withdrawal behaviors were recorded for
45 min. Pioglitazone (5, 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg) was
gavaged 2 h before naloxone injection. It is worth
noting that 1 h before the pioglitazone (40 mg/kg)
gavage, GW-9662 (2 mg/kg), a selective PPAR-γ
antagonist, was administrated in order to evaluate
the possible role of the PPAR-γ.
Result and Discussion: The results of this study
showed that administration of pioglitazone
(40 mg/kg) decreased all withdrawal signs and
the statistical analysis indicated that pioglitazone
could attenuate the total withdrawal scores
signifi cantly. Administration of GW-9662 had no
signifi cant eff ect on pioglitazone attenuation
eff ect on morphine withdrawal symptoms.
Conclusion: Taking together, it was concluded
that acute oral administration of pioglitazone
prevented naloxone-precipitated withdrawal
symptoms and GW-9662 could not revert its
eff ect on morphine withdrawal syndrome. It
seems that pioglitazone suppresses morphine
withdrawal syndrome through PPAR-γ independent
mechanisms. |