Treadmill exercise attenuates the severity of physical dependence, anxiety, depressive-like behavior and voluntary morphine consumption in morphine withdrawn rats receiving methadone maintenance treatment

Neurosci Lett. 2018 Aug 10:681:73-77. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.05.044. Epub 2018 May 30.

Abstract

This study was designed to examine whether treadmill exercise would attenuate the severity of physical dependence, methadone-induced anxiety, depression and voluntary morphine consumption in morphine withdrawn rats receiving methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). The rats were chronically treated with bi-daily doses (10 mg/kg, at 12 h intervals) of morphine for 14 days. The exercising rats receiving MMT were forced to run on a motorized treadmill for 30 days during morphine withdrawal. Then, rats were tested for the severity of morphine dependence, the elevated plus-maze (EPM), sucrose preference test (SPT) and voluntary morphine consumption using a two-bottle choice (TBC) paradigm. The results showed that naloxone- precipitated opioid withdrawal signs were decreased in exercising morphine-dependent rats receiving MMT than sedentary rats. Also, the exercising morphine-dependent rats receiving MMT exhibited an increased time on open arms, preference for sucrose and a lower morphine preference ratio than sedentary rats. We conclude that treadmill exercise decreased the severity of physical dependence, anxiety/depressive-like behaviors and also the voluntary morphine consumption in morphine withdrawn rats receiving MMT. Thus, exercise may benefit in the treatment of addicts during MMT.

Keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Exercise; Methadone; Morphine; Morphine preference.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anxiety / physiopathology
  • Anxiety / psychology*
  • Anxiety / therapy
  • Depression / physiopathology
  • Depression / psychology*
  • Depression / therapy
  • Exercise Test / methods
  • Exercise Test / psychology*
  • Male
  • Maze Learning / drug effects
  • Maze Learning / physiology
  • Methadone / administration & dosage*
  • Morphine / administration & dosage*
  • Morphine / adverse effects
  • Morphine Dependence / psychology*
  • Morphine Dependence / therapy
  • Opiate Substitution Treatment / methods
  • Opiate Substitution Treatment / psychology
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal / methods
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal / psychology
  • Rats
  • Self Administration
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / physiopathology
  • Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / psychology*
  • Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / therapy

Substances

  • Morphine
  • Methadone