Artigo Acesso aberto

Lithium Inhibits the Development of Physical Dependence to Clonidine in Mice

2002; Wiley; Volume: 90; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1034/j.1600-0773.2002.900206.x

ISSN

1600-0773

Autores

Ahmad Reza Dehpour, Seyed Shahabeddin Sadr, Mahtab Roohi‐Azizi, Khodadad Namiranian, Mehrdad Farahani, Abbas Norouzi‐Javidan,

Tópico(s)

Pharmacological Effects and Toxicity Studies

Resumo

Based on our previous finding that chronic lithium treatment reduced naloxone-precipitated withdrawal syndrome in morphine-treated mice, the effect of chronic lithium treatment was evaluated on the development of dependence to clonidine. Dependence was induced by injection of either morphine (50, 50 and 75 mg/kg, intraperitoneally with 3 hr interval for 3 consecutive days), or clonidine (2 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneally for 10 days). Naloxone (4 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) precipitated withdrawal signs in both morphine- and clonidine-treated mice. Yohimbine (5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) precipitated withdrawal signs in the clonidine-treated mice, similar to morphine withdrawal signs; but failed to precipitate any significant sign in the morphine-treated mice. Coadministration of lithium was carried out by adding lithium chloride to drinking water (600 mg/l for 20 days; 10 days before the beginning of clonidine administration and 17 days before the administration of morphine to allow the lithium concentration to reach steady-state). The results indicated that chronic lithium administration significantly attenuated the withdrawal signs, precipitated either by yohimbine or naloxone, in clonidine-treated mice. As a conclusion, clonidine withdrawal signs are very similar to opioid withdrawal signs, and lithium is able to prevent the development of physical dependence to clonidine.

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