RESUMO
Catecholamine metabolites excreted by long-term methadone hydrochloride-dependent subjects were studied in a protocol involving a two-study design. After a two-week methadone maintenance period, 15 subjects underwent abrupt methadone withdrawal and 12 subjects, gradual methadone withdrawal. The first study compared levels of catecholamine metabolites excreted during the stable methadone period with those excreted during the abrupt withdrawal period, as well as with those eliminated by healthy nonaddicted controls. No changes in the excretion of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol and normetanephrine were noted between the methadone maintenance period and the time of abrupt methadone withdrawal. These values did not differ from those obtained for controls. However, higher levels of metanephreine were excreted during the stable methadone period than those in controls. During withdrawal, levels of metanephrine dropped a statistically significant amount in comparison with levels observed during the stable methadone period. The gradual withdrawal study confirmed these findings.
Assuntos
Epinefrina/urina , Metadona , Norepinefrina/urina , Síndrome de Abstinência a Substâncias/urina , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Substâncias/urina , Adulto , Epinefrina/metabolismo , Feminino , Dependência de Heroína/reabilitação , Humanos , Masculino , Metanefrina/urina , Metadona/uso terapêutico , Metoxi-Hidroxifenilglicol/urina , Norepinefrina/metabolismo , Normetanefrina/urina , Ácido Vanilmandélico/urinaRESUMO
Laboratory and animal investigations have supported the hypothesis that levels of cyclic AMP are stable during tolerance to narcotic drugs and increased during withdrawal. In order to test this hypothesis, serial 24-h urinary excretion of cyclic AMP by long-term methadone addicts was determined during a period of stable methadone intake, a period of gradual withdrawal, and a period of acute withdrawal. Cyclic AMP excretion during stable methadone intake is identical to that of normal control subjects. Neither gradual nor acute withdrawal appears to affect the urinary excretion of cyclic AMP. These data agree with previous reports in the literature which suggest that cyclic AMP levels are not altered during tolerance to narcotics, but do not support the hypothesis that levels of the nucleotide might be increased during withdrawal.
