The effects of a 5-HT7 receptor agonist and antagonist on morphine withdrawal syndrome in mice

Withdrawal from opioids leads to the expression of aversion behaviors. Previous studies have shown that the serotonergic system has an important role in morphine withdrawal syndrome. The 5-HT7 receptor is a recently discovered member of the 5-HT receptor family that has been shown to be involved in these behaviors. The aim of the present study was to test the role of the 5-HT7 receptor in withdrawal syndrome in morphine-dependent mice with AS19 and SB269970, a selective agonist and antagonist of this receptor, respectively. Dependence was induced by the repeated administration of morphine for five consecutive days. The morphine-dependent mice received AS19 (3, 5, or 10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) or SB269970 (1, 3, or 10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) 15 min prior to the precipitation of morphine withdrawal syndromes by naloxone (3 mg/kg, subcutaneous). Withdrawal symptoms, including percent weight loss, jumping, teeth chattering, writhing, body and face grooming, sniffing, standing, and head and limb shaking, were recorded for 30 min after the naloxone injection. The morphine-dependent mice had significantly more withdrawal symptoms than naive control mice. The administration of AS19 reduced most of the morphine withdrawal symptoms. However, SB2699 increased some of the withdrawal symptoms, including teeth chattering, face grooming, jumping, and head and limb shaking. These findings suggest that the 5-HT7 receptor is involved in morphine withdrawal. Its activation decreased and its inactivation increased the morphine withdrawal syndrome. Further studies are recommended to better understand the role of the 5-HT7 receptor in morphine dependence and withdrawal.