Inhibitory effect of Berberis vulgaris aqueous extract on acquisition and reinstatement effects of morphine in conditioned place preferences (CPP) in mice

Background: it has been elucidated that berberis vulgaris (barberry) can alleviate morphine withdrawal syndrome. also it has been reported that aqueous extract of barberry possibly have inhibitory effect on nmda receptors. objectives: in this study,we decided to evaluate the effects of aqueous extract of b. vulgaris fruit on morphine tendency in mice using conditioned place preference (cpp) method. materials and methods: in experiment 1 (acquisition phase),mice underwent morphine-induced conditioned place preference (cpp) training with injections of morphine (40 mg/kg). in experiment 2 (extinction and reinstatement phases),mice underwent the same cpp training as in experiment 1 and subsequent extinction training on day 16th a reinstatement by cpp was done by injection of reminding 10 mg/kg morphine. results: the administration of morphine (40 mg/kg for four days) produced place preference. in the first method,the aqueous extract of barberry (200 mg/kg) prevented morphine tendency to white cell in cpp method. in the second method,after inter-peritoneal injection of aqueous extracts of barberry at 100 and 200 mg/kg,the animals tendency toward the white cells of cpp chamber on the sixteenth day (after a reminder injection of morphine 10 mg/kg) was significantly reduced. conclusions: these results show that aqueous extract of barberry can reduce the acquisition and reinstatement of morphine-induced conditioned place preference. © 2014,school of pharmacy,ahvaz jundishapur university of medical sciences.