Showing papers on "Opiate published in 1972"

Human Chromosomes and Opiates

Abstract: A cytogenic study of 16 opiate addicts receiving methadone hydrochloride compared with a control population revealed an unusual number of chromosome aberrations including dicentric chromosomes and an exchange figure at 72 hours in the addicted group, but no significant increase in chromosome anomalies over the controls at 48 hours. To determine whether methadone was the drug responsible for these chromosome abnormalities an in vitro study was initiated to evaluate the effects of methadone, morphine, and quinine on peripheral blood leukocytes from nonaddicts. Chromosome studies at three times normal, normal, and one third, one sixth, and one twelfth the normal therapeutic concentrations of quinine, morphine, and methadone introduced at 24, 48, and 68 hours into 72-hour leukocyte cultures did not reveal an increased frequency of chromosome damage.

Failure of an opiate to protect mice against naloxone-precipitated withdrawal.

Abstract: Mice were made dependent upon the opiate narcotic, levorphanol, by repeated injections of a fixed dose at a four-or eight-hour interval. The degree of dependence was measured by determining the ED5O of naloxone for eliciting jumping activity. After dependence was established, on either schedule, the greatly increased plasma and brain levels of the agonist (levorphanol) after an injection did not cause any increase in the ED5O of the antagonist (naloxone). The behavior of antagonists in blocking primary opiate effects is competitive. In contrast, the results reported here indicate that even a large increase of levorphanol concentration in brain does not protect against naloxone precipitated withdrawal.

Treatment of opiate addiction

Abstract: Addiction to opiate drugs, e.g., heroin, is treated by administering a beta-adrenergic-receptor-blocking drug, e.g. propranolol, which is found to block the rewarding and euphoric effects of the narcotic and to prevent the recurrence of hunger for the narcotic after withdrawal with methadone.