BACKGROUND Preclinical studies demonstrate increased neuroapoptosis after general anesthesia in early life. Neuraxial techniques may minimize potential risks, but there has been no systematic evaluation of spinal analgesic safety in developmental models. We aimed to validate a preclinical model for evaluating dose-dependent efficacy, spinal cord toxicity, and long-term function after intratheca...

STUDY OBJECTIVE To assess concentrations of morphine and its metabolites after patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). DESIGN Pilot pharmacokinetic study of morphine and pharmacokinetic simulation. SETTING Post-anesthesia care room and ward of an academic teaching hospital. PATIENTS 10 ASA physical status I, II, and III postoperative surgical patients. INTERVENTIONS Patients received morphi...

Certain experimental models support morphine can play a beneficial role against damage in the neuronal system. In this study, we find morphine as well as endomorphin-1 and endomorphin-2 can protect against intracellular amyloid β (iAβ) toxicity in human and rat primary neuronal cultures and in rat brains in vivo. Morphine reverses the electrophysiological changes induced by iAβ, including curre...

Drug abuse has become a major social problem of the modern world and majority of these abusive drugs or their metabolites are excreted through the kidneys and, thus, the renal complications of these drugs are very common. Morphine, heroin, cocaine, nicotine and alcohol are the most commonly abused drugs, and their use is associated with various types of renal toxicity. The renal complications i...

The neuropathological abnormalities of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 patients abusing illicit drugs suggest extensive interactions between the two agents, thereby leading to increased rate of progression to neurodegeneration. The role of HIV-1 transactivating protein, Tat has been elucidated in mediating neuronal damage via apoptosis, a hallmark of HIV-associated dementia (HAD), however ...

Background and objectives: The seedsof Sophora alopecuroides L. var. alopecuroides may benefit treatment of opioid dependence. Therefore, the plant alkaloid composition, toxicity and effects on morphine withdrawal were studied. Methods: The alkaloid composition was determined by GC and GC/MS analysis. Mice were made dependent by morphine injec...

Heroin is in the class of illicit opioid drugs which are synthesized from morphine, a natural opiate that is extracted from poppy plants. Two forms of the drug are available; a powder, which can be either white or brown in colour or as a sticky black substance, known as tar heroin [2]. The toxicity of heroin itself was not recognised until the 18th century, with the toxic effects of the drug be...