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Intergenerational effects of adolescent morphine exposure on anxiety-like behavior evaluated by elevated zero maze in male rats
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Vida Alipour   , Amir Shojaei , Javad Mirnajafi-Zadeh , Hossein Azizi *  |
| Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran |
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Abstract: (2437 Views) |
Background and Aim: More than fifty percent of drug abusers start their substance abuse in adolescence. Chronic exposure to morphine, particularly during this developmental stage, may lead to long-lasting effects that can be transmitted to subsequent generation. The present study investigated the impact of paternal morphine exposure during adolescence on anxiety-like behavior in their male offspring during adulthood.
Methods: Male Wistar rats were exposed to increasing doses of morphine (5–25 mg/kg, s.c.) or saline for 10 days at postnatal days (PND) 30–39 during adolescence. Following a 20-day drug-free period, the treated male rats were mated with naïve females. Adult male offspring (PND 60–70) were assessed for anxiety-like behavior using the elevated zero maze test. The experiments were conducted on two groups of offspring. One group had a male parent that received saline, while the other group had a male parent that received morphine. The number of rats in each group was 14. Results: Offspring whose male parent was exposed to morphine exhibited reduced anxiety-like behavior compared to the control group. The findings of this study suggest that paternal exposure to morphine during adolescence may influence anxiety-like behaviors in male offspring and lead to reduced levels of anxiety in adulthood.
Conclusion: These results indicate that early substance use may have complex intergenerational effects and underscore the importance of understanding the long-term consequences of drug exposure during adolescence. Further research should focus on investigating the underlying mechanisms that induce behavioral changes and their potential impacts on mental health across different generations. |
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| Keywords: Anxiety-like behavior, Opioid, Elevated zero maze, Adolescence |
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Full-Text [PDF 6157 kb]
(959 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Review Article -by invitation |
Subject:
Neuroscience
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