Bratislava Medical Journal Vol.115, No.12, p.743-748, 2014

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of addiction to morphine and nicotine as well as their withdrawal on both baroreflex sensitivity and blood pressure in hypertensive rats.
Methods: In this experimental study 40 male rats were divided into two main groups as follows: in group I, hypertensive rats received saline for 8 weeks; in group II, hypertensive rats were treated with morphine and nicotine for 8 weeks. At the end of 8 weeks group II rats were divided into four sub-groups including, 3 sub-groups of those were put on drug withdrawal protocol. At the end of experiment, blood pressure, heart rate, plasma renin activity (PRA), serum NO concentration and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) were measured.

Results: Results demonstrated that BP and BRS were significantly lower in addicted to morphine and nicotine hypertensive rats compared to control (p < 0.05).

Addiction withdrawal (in morphine and nicotine withdrawal rats) completely reversed BP and BRS to the pre-addiction levels (p < 0.05).

Withdrawal in the only nicotine treated group lowered BP and BRS compared to group that had received morphine and nicotine together (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Results of current study may propose simultaneous morphine and nicotine withdrawal can prevent cardiovascular complications raised due to withdrawal (Fig. 5, Ref. 58).