Methadone does not alter key parameters of adult hippocampal neurogenesis in the heroin-naïve rat.

Filed under: Methadone Detox

Neurosci Lett. 2012 Apr 1;
Sankararaman A, Masiulis I, Richardson DR, Andersen JM, Mørland J, Eisch AJ

Methadone is a synthetic opiate that is useful in a variety of clinical settings, including in maintenance therapy of heroin dependence and as an analgesic. However, methadone can have negative effects on cognition in humans and in rodents. The mechanisms underlying methadone-induced disruption in cognition are unknown. One possibility is that methadone disrupts adult hippocampal neurogenesis, a form of hippocampal plasticity involved in cognition that is disrupted by other opiates, like morphine. The goal of this study was to determine if methadone alters key parameters of hippocampal neurogenesis in the adult rat. Four groups of male rats were injected with saline (saline, n=11) or methadone (escalating, short term, acute, n=10-11/group) over the course of three weeks. Weight gain, locomotor activity, and neurogenesis data were collected. Consistent with prior results, escalating rats had slower weight gain (-4% vs. saline). Also consistent with prior results, methadone did not alter locomotor activity over the course of a 90min test. However, closer analysis revealed that methadone – irrespective of the dose or duration – led to a decrease in locomotor activity (-11 to -20% vs. saline) when examined during the first 5min of the locomotor test. Surprisingly, methadone did not alter any of three quantified parameters relevant to adult hippocampal neurogenesis (number of Ki67-, doublecortin-, or BrdU-immunoreactive cells [BrdU given prior to saline/methadone exposure]). These results suggest that – unlike other opiates such as morphine – experimenter-delivered methadone does not alter hippocampal plasticity by decreasing the number of adult-generated neurons.
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Incidence of seizures associated with the use of acepromazine in dogs undergoing myelography.

Filed under: Methadone Detox

J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio). 2012 Apr 5;
Drynan EA, Gray P, Raisis AL

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the frequency of seizures associated with acepromazine administration when used as a premedicant with methadone for dogs undergoing myelography. DESIGN: Retrospective clinical case study. SETTING: University veterinary teaching hospital. ANIMALS: Sixty-six dogs (mixed and pure breeds), aged between 4 months and 15 years, weighing between 3.5-61 kg. All animals were classified as ASA score I or II. INTERVENTIONS: Forty-three animals were premedicated with methadone (0.1-0.5 mg/kg) and acepromazine (0.01-0.05 mg/kg) intramuscularly. Twenty-three animals were premedicated with methadone alone (0.1-0.5 mg/kg) intramuscularly. Anesthesia was induced with propofol intravenously and maintained with isoflurane delivered in 100% oxygen. All animals received a balanced isotonic crystalloid solution intravenously at a rate of 10 mL/kg/h. Blood pressure, end-tidal CO(2) , oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, and heart rate were monitored throughout anesthesia. Animals requiring surgery immediately following myelography were excluded from the study. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The frequency of seizures was 14% (CI: 3.6-24.3%) and 13.0% (CI: 0.7-27%) in dogs that received methadone/acepromazine and methadone alone, respectively. There was no significant difference in the frequency of seizures between dogs receiving methadone/acepromazine or methadone alone (P = 1). Analysis of the association of site of injection of the contrast and the frequency of seizures in dogs receiving methadone/acepromazine showed no significant difference in the frequency of seizures following cervical injection (25%; CI: 0.5-24.5%) or lumbar injection (9.7%; CI: -0.7-20.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The administration of acepromazine combined with methadone as a premedicant used with propofol and isoflurane anesthesia did not significantly increase the frequency of seizures following myelography compared to dogs who received methadone alone.
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Mortality and causes of death among users of methadone maintenance treatment in Israel, 1999-2008.

Filed under: Methadone Detox

Drug Alcohol Depend. 2012 Apr 6;
Rosca P, Haklai Z, Goldberger N, Zohar P, Margolis A, Ponizovsky AM

OBJECTIVES: To determine all-cause and specific-causes mortality, in the years 1999-2008, among opioid-dependent users treated at methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) clinics in Israel and to compare the obtained results with data from relevant studies worldwide. METHOD: The records of patients treated at MMT units were linked to the nationwide database of causes of death. Information about the Israeli general population from the Central Bureau of Statistics was used for comparison to match sex and age to the cohort under study. Crude mortality rates (CMRs) per 100 persons per year (PY) and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. RESULTS: The overall CMR for MMT users was 1.49/100 PY (CI 1.40-1.59) and was not associated with gender, age at entering MMT, ethnicity, and immigrant status. The leading causes of mortality were sudden/undefined death (0.31/100 PY, CI 0.26-0.35), overdose (0.22/100 PY, CI 0.17-0.27), and cancer (0.15/100 PY, CI 0.12-0.18). The MMT users were 12.2 times more likely to die from all causes than people from the general population. Overall, our estimates were comparable with the figures pooled from relevant studies. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the excess mortality of MMT users is associated with an increased morbidity, which alone or in combination with service-related risks, lead to worse outcomes.
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Another group wants to open Duluth methadone treatment clinic

Filed under: Methadone Detox

The Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment, perhaps best known for running the county's only detoxification center for alcohol and drug abuse, is proposing what it calls a Medication Assisted Treatment Program, where methadone would be one of several …
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