長期使用嗎啡易產生耐受性及成癮性，當突然中斷或降低劑量時會出現戒斷症狀群，目前已知戒斷症狀群與神經傳導物質如多巴胺、血清素等有相關性。
本研究主要以大鼠為研究對象，大鼠以漸進式增加劑量的方式給予嗎啡皮下注射共3天，誘發產生嗎啡身體依賴性。利用微透析管在腦中取樣，再使用高效能液相層析-電化學偵測器，分析大鼠腦中神經傳導物質及其代謝物含量變化，以探討三環抗憂鬱藥物對成癮大鼠腦中神經傳導物質及其代謝物含量之影響。
結果顯示，imipramine、triflupromazine、nortriptyline和protripramine等藥物，對成癮大鼠腦中神經傳導物質及其代謝物之影響和嗎啡類似，推測其可能因morphine like effect，而可能具有減輕嗎啡戒斷反應之效果。 Chronic treatment with morphine may induce tolerance and addition. If it is stopped too abruptly or use the lower dose that may cause withdrawal symptoms. The withdrawal symptoms are in association with neurotransmitters (like dopamine and serotonin).
Adult SD rat were rendered physical dependence on morphine by escalating daily doses of subcutaneous morphine for 3 days and induced morphine dependence. This study combined microdialysis sampling with high performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) for the determination of the neurotransmitters and metabolites in the rat striatum to study the effect of tricyclic antidepressants on monoamine neurotransmitter and metabolite levels.
The effects of imipramine, triflupromazine, nortriptyline, and protripramine on monoamine neurotransmitters and metabolite levels in the rat striatum were similar to morphine. They may have the potency to reduce the morphine withdrawal symptoms due to morphine like effect.
