OBJECTIVETo study the changes of neutral alpha-glucoside activity in the epididymis of heroin-dependent and heroin-withdrawal rats, and to investigate the effects of intervention with purine nucleotide (AMP and GMP).

METHODSEighty Wistar rats were randomly divided into 8 groups of equal number, control, nucleotide, heroin, heroin + nucleotide, 3 d withdrawal, 9 d withdrawal, 3 d nucleotide (nucleotide administrated for 3 days after heroin withdrawal) and 9 d nucleotide (nucleotide administrated for 9 days after heroin withdrawal). Neutral alpha-glucosidase activity in the epididymis was detected in each group of rats.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, neutral alpha-glucoside activity was markedly decreased in the heroin group (P < 0.05), and also in the 3 d and 9 d withdrawal groups, although with no significant differences (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONHeroin reduces neutral alpha-glucoside activity in the epididymis of rats, and this effect may continue for some time after drug withdrawal, while purine nucleotide can keep neutral alpha-glucosidase activity in a relatively stable state.

Animals ; Epididymis ; chemistry ; Heroin ; adverse effects ; Heroin Dependence ; metabolism ; Male ; Purine Nucleotides ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; alpha-Glucosidases ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To observe the expression of discs large homolog 4 (DLG4) protein in hippocampus, amygdala and frontal cortex of rats and evaluate postsynaptic density in heroin dependence. METHODS: The rat heroin dependent model was established by increasing intraperitoneal injection of heroin. DLG4 proteins in hippocampus, amygdala and frontal cortex of heroin dependent 9, 18, 36 days rats were detected with immunohistochemical staining and compared with that in the control group. RESULTS: DLG4 proteins in hippocampus, amygdala and frontal cortex were gradually reduced with extension of heroin dependent time. CONCLUSION Heroin dependence can affect postsynaptic density of hippocampus, amygdala and frontal cortex. The changes become more apparent with extension of heroin dependence time.
Amygdala/metabolism* ; Animals ; Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein ; Frontal Lobe/metabolism* ; Heroin/pharmacology* ; Heroin Dependence ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism* ; Membrane Proteins/metabolism* ; Rats

OBJECTIVETo examine the effects of Han's acupoint and nerve stimulator (HANS) electroacupuncture on the expression of NPY in periaqueductal grey (PAG) of heroin addicted rats.

METHODSHeroin was injected subcutaneously according to the principle of daily increasing dose in rats of experimented group. The ability of special learning and memory were tested by Morris water maze; The expression of NPY in PAG of rat were detected by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS(1) Escape latency and searching distance in heroin-addiction group were significantly increased compared with those of normal group during the place navigation test (P < 0.05). However, in acupuncture group, escape latency and searching distance was obviously shortened compared with those of heroin-addiction group (P < 0.05). The exploring time and distance of original platform area in proportion to the total distance in heroin-addiction group significantly decreased compared with those of normal group during spatial probe test (P < 0.05). The exploring time and distance of original platform area in proportion to the total distance in acupuncture group was increased compared with those in heroin-addiction group (P < 0.01). (2) The expression of NPY of heroin-addiction group was lower than that in normal group in PAG, while those of acupuncture group was higher than that in the heroin-addiction group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe learning and memory induced by heroin-addiction could be reversed and the expression of NPY in PAG was increased by HANS in rats.

Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Heroin Dependence ; metabolism ; Male ; Maze Learning ; Memory ; Neuropeptide Y ; metabolism ; Periaqueductal Gray ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Heroin can be metabolized easily in body and the mail metabolites are 6-MAM, morphine and so on. At present, there are urine, blood, hair and so on as specimens for detection, while the analytical technology conclude TLC, GC, HPLC, GC/MS, LC/MS, IA, CE etc. In this paper, these technologies used for heroin's metabolites were viewed in order to provide some reference to the study in relative field.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Forensic Medicine ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Hair/chemistry* ; Heroin/metabolism* ; Heroin Dependence/metabolism* ; Humans ; Morphine/analysis* ; Morphine Derivatives/analysis* ; Substance Abuse Detection/methods*

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of catecholamine hormone on the blood and brain of heroin addicts.

METHODSRats were divided into three groups and treated with the glucose (control group), the heroin (im) (heroin group), and the combination of the intramuscular injection of reserpine and heroin (reserpine group). Changes in the levels of the dopamine (DA), cAMP, and cGMP were detected by the radioimmunoassay (RIA) method in the blood and brain tissue.

RESULTSNo significant withdrawal symptoms were observed in the reserpine group. Compared with the control and heroin groups, the blood cAMP levels were increased by 35.36% and 15.53% in the reserpine group, respectively; the cAMP levels in the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA), prefrontal cortex (PFC), and hippocampus (Hipp) were increased by 24.08% & 8.53%, 15.66% & 8.13%, and 21.95% & 8.40%, respectively. While compared to the control and heroin groups, the DA levels of the PFC, Hipp, striatum, and nucleus accumbens (NAc) were significantly reduced in the reserpine group, decreasing by 74.09% & 82.86%, 81.06% & 82.23%, 91.62% & 86.55% and 84.35% & 90.63%, respectively. The concentrations of cGMP of the brain tissues in the reserpine group were lower than those in the control group. In addition, the neural electrophysiological testing showed that the electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG), and muscle spindle discharge diagram of rats in both the reserpine and heroin groups were apparently changed.

CONCLUSIONCatecholamine hormone plays an important role in heroin addiction.

Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Catecholamines ; physiology ; Cyclic AMP ; blood ; metabolism ; Cyclic GMP ; blood ; metabolism ; Dopamine ; blood ; metabolism ; Heroin Dependence ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of purine nucleotide on the expressions of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteotrophic hormone (LH) and the ultrastructures of the distal somatotrophic and gonadotrophic cells in the pituitary gland of heroin-addicted and -withdrawal rats.

METHODSNinety-two male Wistar rats were randomly divided into a control group (ip saline for 14 d), a nucleotide group (ip AMP and GMP for 10 d), a heroin group (ip heroin for 10 d), a heroin + nucleotide group (ip AMP and GMP + heroin for 10 d), a 3 d withdrawal group (ip heroin for 10 d and killed at 14 d), a 9 d withdrawal group (ip heroin for 10 d and killed at 20 d), a 3 d nucleotide group (ip nucleotide for 3 d after 10 d heroin administration and killed at 14 d), and a 9 d nucleotide group (ip nucleotide for 9 d after 10 d heroin administration and killed at 20 d). Changes in the mRNA expressions of FSH and LH in the pituitary gland of the rats were analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR, and alterations in the ultrastructures of the distal somatotrophic and gonadotrophic cells were observed under the microscope.

RESULTSThe expression of FSH mRNA was significantly increased in the nucleotide, heroin + nucleotide, 3 d nucleotide and 9 d nucleotide groups (0.099 +/- 0.018, 0.177 +/- 0.046, 0.151 +/- 0.030 and 0.184 +/- 0.028) as compared with the control group (0.045 +/- 0.009) (P < 0.01); and so was that of LH mRNA in the heroin + nucleotide, 3 d nucleotide and 9 d nucleotide groups (0.950 +/- 0.169, 0.990 +/- 0.171 and 0.960 +/- 0.147) in comparison with the control group (0.700 +/- 0.099) (P < 0.01). In the heroin group, the nuclei of the distal somatotrophic and gonadotrophic cells exhibited morphological abnormality, unclear membrane, slightly pyknotic matrix, marginal and agglutinated heterochromatin, dilated rough endoplasmic reticula, swollen mitochondria, broken and vacuolated cristae in the cytoplasm, obviously decreased number of secretory granules, and myelin bodies in some cells. However, the heroin + nucleotide group showed no significant changes in the ultrastructures of somatotrophic and gonadotrophic cells compared with the control group.

CONCLUSIONShort-term use of heroin does not obviously affect the expressions of FSH and LH mRNA in the pituitary gland of rats, while heroin + nucleotide, or nucleotide following heroin withdrawal can enhance their expressions significantly. Heroin damages the ultrastructures of the distal somatotrophic and gonadotrophic cells in the pituitary gland of male rats, and purine nucleotide can diminish or inhibit this damage.

Animals ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Heroin ; adverse effects ; Heroin Dependence ; genetics ; metabolism ; Luteinizing Hormone ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Pituitary Gland ; drug effects ; metabolism ; ultrastructure ; Purine Nucleotides ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome ; genetics ; metabolism

Acupuncture Therapy ; Animals ; Heroin Dependence ; metabolism ; psychology ; therapy ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Learning ; physiology ; Memory ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Synaptophysin ; Vesicular Transport Proteins ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between heroin spongiform leucoencephalopathy and respiratory chain complex I deficiency.

METHODSThe activity of respiratory chain complex I in peripheral white blood cell mitochondria was compared between 36 cases of heroin spongiform leucoencephalopathy and 36 healthy subjects using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSThe activity of respiratory chain complex I was 5.6∓2.4 U/ml in patients with heroin spongiform leucoencephalopathy, significantly higher than that in the normal subjects (4.2∓2.1 U/ml, t=2.634, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONIn patients with heroin spongiform leucoencephalopathy, mitochondrial dysfunction results in energy metabolism disorder to cause extensive demyelination of the cerebral white matter. Respiratory chain complex I deficiency of the mitochondria plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of heroin spongiform leucoencephalopathy.

Adult ; Canavan Disease ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Case-Control Studies ; Electron Transport ; Female ; Heroin Dependence ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; metabolism ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of electroacupuncture on heroin seeking behavior and FosB expression in relevant brain regions. METHODS: Rat model of heroin relapse behaviors was developed with progressive fixed ratio program,and model rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: a restraint group, a needle retention group, and a electroacupuncture group. The heroin seeking behavior was elicited by a small dose of heroin. FosB expression in relevnt brain region was assessed with immunohistochemical technique. RESULTS: Tests on reinstatement of drug seeking behavior induced by heroin priming showed that compared with the restraint group, active pokes in the electroacupuncture group decreased significantly(P<0.05). Compared with the restraint group, the expression of FosB positive nuclei in Acd, Pcg and CeA of rats brain both in the electroacupuncture group and the needle retention group (P<0.05) decreased significantly. In LC, the expression of FosB positive nuclei in the needle retention group decreased significantly compared with the restraint group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Continuous acupuncture and needle retention attentuate the reinstatement of heroin-seeking behaviors induced by heroin priming, and the inhibitory effect may be mediated partially by the expression of FosB in relevant regions which are involved in the process of heroin addiction.
Amygdala ; metabolism ; Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; Brain ; metabolism ; Electroacupuncture ; methods ; Heroin Dependence ; metabolism ; psychology ; therapy ; Male ; Nucleus Accumbens ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos ; biosynthesis ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo detect the relationship between heroin-dependence and -287 A/G polymorphism of catechol-O-methyltransferase(COMT) gene.

METHODSGenotype and allele frequencies of -287 A/G polymorphism of COMT gene were examined in 268 heroin-dependent subjects and 177 normal controls.

RESULTSWeak but significant difference in genotype of -287 A/G polymorphism of COMT gene was observed between heroin-dependent subjects and controls (chi(2)=7.41, P=0.025), and genotype AA was higher in the former. The frequency of allele A of -287 A/G polymorphism of COMT gene was also significantly higher in heroin-dependent subjects than in the controls (chi(2)=5.69, P=0.017).

CONCLUSIONThe results suggested that liability to heroin-dependence was associated with -287 A/G polymorphism of COMT gene.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Alleles ; Catechol O-Methyltransferase ; genetics ; DNA ; genetics ; metabolism ; DNA Restriction Enzymes ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Heroin Dependence ; enzymology ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; genetics