Perinatal opioids reduce striatal nerve growth factor content in rat striatum

Both human and animal models indicate that perinatal methadone exposure pro duces a variety of short- and long-term neurobehavioral consequences, inclu ding disruption of normal development of striatal cholinergic neurons. Desp ite this, methadone maintenance is a standard method of managing pregnant h eroin addicts, and the opioid receptor partial agonist buprenorphine is und er evaluation for the same use. We now report that perinatal administration of either methadone or buprenorphine reduces the content of the neurotroph ic factor nerve growth factor (NGF) in rat striatum, which may explain the behavioral deficits observed. Furthermore, although NGF content is reduced, there are no corresponding reductions in striatal NGF mRNA. (C) 2001 Publi shed by Elsevier Science B.V.