M. Jose Alfaro, Beatriz Fernandez, Carlos Goicoechea and M. Isabel Martin
(*)
Departamento de Farmacologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense
de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
(*) To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract: The effect on the in vitro withdrawal sign induced
by naloxone in morphine-dependent guinea pig ileum has been analyzed. Salmon
calcitonin (s-CT) dose-dependently reduced the force of the contraction
induced by naloxone in morphine incubated tissues, but did not modify the
contraction induced by administration of acetylcholine or substance P in
non-treated tissues. Therefore, the effect of s-CT in morphine incubated
tissues may not be attributable to postsynaptic mechanisms, and an inhibitory
modulation of the excitatory pathways triggered by naloxone would be suggested.
In conclusion, s-CT is able to prevent the withdrawal sign in vitro.
Keywords: Morphine withdrawal, Opioid abstinence, Calcitonin