Journal of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences

  The Effect of Clonidine Administration into Lateral Paragigantocellularis on Morphine Withdrawal in Morphine Dependent Male Rats

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  H. Fathi Moghaddam ¹, M. Kesmati ², H. Mohammadpour kargar ³

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  1-Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Ahwaz University of Medical Sciences, Ahwaz, Iran

  2-Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Chamran University, Ahwas, Iran

  3- Academic Member, Department of Biology, Islamic Azad Universuty, Damghan, Iran

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 Background: Paragigantocellularis plays a role in different physiologic actions. In this study the effect of clonidine administration into lateral paragigantocellularis on morphine withdrawal syndrome in male rat was investigated.

 Materials and Methods: Rats were addicted to morphine by injecting 25, 30, 35, and 40 mg/kg ip twice a day for four days. In the fifth day rats received 40 mg/kg morphine and after half an hour naloxane hydrochloride (2mg/kg, ip) for morphine withdrawal. Clonidine which is an alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonist was administered in doses of 1 & 2 ug/0.5ul to lateral paragigantocellularis 5 minutes before naloxane injection. Number of chewing, jumping, standing on feet, ejaculation, Paw tremor, and defecating were evaluated half an hour after naloxane injection.

 Results: The results showed that clonidine decreased the number of chewing, paw tremor and ptosis time, but had no effect on teeth gnashing, grooming and wet dog shakes.

 Conclusion: It can be proposed that alpha-2 adrenocepors in LPGi could mediate clonidine effects on withdrawal syndrome.

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 Keyword: Clonidine, Paragigantocellularis Nucleus, Wet Dog Shakes, Morphine,

 Withdrawal Syndrome.

  Corresponding author,tel:(0611) 3334694