Swimming exercise during morphine abstinence in parents-to-be attenuated morphine-induced conditioned place preference and locomotor sensitization only in male rat offspring

Neurosci Lett. 2021 Jan 1:740:135433. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135433. Epub 2020 Oct 17.

Abstract

This study was designed to examine the effects of swimming exercise during morphine abstinence in parents-to-be before mating on morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) and locomotor sensitization in the pubertal male and female rat offspring. Male and female Wistar rats were injected with bi-daily doses (10 mg/kg, 12 h intervals) of morphine for 14 days. The exercising rats exposed to a regular swimming exercise (45 min/d, five days per a week) during 30 days of morphine abstinence before mating. Then, the pubertal male and female rat offspring were tested for morphine-induced CPP and locomotor sensitization (using the open field). The results showed that the pubertal male offspring of the morphine-abstinent parents-to-be exhibited an increase in CPP to morphine and locomotor activity after morphine challenge than the offspring from the control group. While, swimming exercise in morphine-abstinent parents-to-be decreased CPP score and locomotor activity in the pubertal male offspring than control offspring. Thus, exposure to swimming exercise in morphine-abstinent parents-to-be before mating may exert a protective effect against morphine-induced reward and locomotor sensitization in their pubertal offspring which may prevent the vulnerability of the first generation to drug abuse following opiate-addicted parents before mating.

Keywords: Conditioned place preference; Locomotor sensitization; Morphine-abstinent parents; Rats; Swimming exercise.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analgesics, Opioid / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Conditioning, Operant / drug effects*
  • Female
  • Male
  • Morphine / pharmacology*
  • Morphine Dependence / psychology
  • Motor Activity / drug effects*
  • Parents
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / psychology*
  • Swimming / psychology*

Substances

  • Analgesics, Opioid
  • Morphine