EFFECT OF MORPHINE SULPHATE ON THE STRESS RESPONSE TO IMMOBILIZATION IN RATS

Zakaria, Abdel-Dayem; Fayed, Abdel-Hasseb; Hedaya, Sobhy; Mohammed, Mohy-eldin; El-Ashmawy, Ibrahim

doi:10.21608/zjps.1995.186332

EFFECT OF MORPHINE SULPHATE ON THE STRESS RESPONSE TO IMMOBILIZATION IN RATS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department. Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alexandria, Egypt.

² Department. Physiology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alexandria, Egypt.

³ Department. Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alexandria, Egypt.

10.21608/zjps.1995.186332

Abstract

The effects of peripheral administration of morphine on some haematological parameters and hormone secretion (prolactin and cortisol) were investigated in non-stressed and immobilized rats. Intramuscular injection of morphine sulphate at a dose of 15 mg/Kg body weight, decreased red blood corpuscles (RBCS) count and packed cell volume (PCV) and increased plasma prolactin concentration. Immobilization of rats for 4 hours daily for 4 successive days, induced a marked decrease in PCV value and double fold increase in plasma prolactin and cortisol concentrations. Pretreatment of immobilized rats with morphine sulphate caused a significant decrease in RBCS count, PCV, haemoglobin and plasma cortisol concentration. It was concluded that administration of morphine sulphate to stressed rats adversely affect the haematological picture and partially decrease the adrenal gland response to stressor.