PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - W K Bickel
AU  - M L Stitzer
AU  - I A Liebson
AU  - G E Bigelow
TI  - Acute physical dependence in man: effects of naloxone after brief morphine exposure.
DP  - 1988 Jan 01
TA  - Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
PG  - 126--132
VI  - 244
IP  - 1
4099  - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/244/1/126.short
4100  - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/244/1/126.full
SO  - J Pharmacol Exp Ther1988 Jan 01; 244
AB  - This study assessed the effects of i.m. naloxone (10 mg) 6 hr after acute i.m. injections of morphine (0, 1, 3, 5.6, 10 and 17 mg). Naloxone reversed residual morphine-produced respiratory depression, miosis and subjective reports of drug "high." In addition, naloxone precipitated signs and symptoms characteristic of opioid withdrawal. Subjective report measures of "bad" drug effects and specific opioid withdrawal symptoms increased as a function of morphine pretreatment dose, as did observer-rated signs of withdrawal. Yawning was the most prominent observed sign, whereas yawning and irritability were the most consistently reported subjective symptoms. Peak withdrawal effects were seen within 15 min post-naloxone. The results of this study confirm previous reports of acute physical dependence in man and extend those findings by demonstrating a morphine dose-response function.