Growth hormone is protective against acute methadone-induced toxicity by modulating the NMDA receptor complex

Abstract

Human growth hormone (GH) displays promising protective effects in the central nervous system after damage caused by various insults. Current evidence suggests that these effects may involve N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor function, a receptor that also is believed to play a role in opioid-induced neurotoxicity. The aims of the present study were to examine the acute toxic effects of methadone, an opioid receptor agonist and NMDA receptor antagonist, as well as to evaluate the protective properties of recombinant human GH (rhGH) on methadone-induced toxicity. Primary cortical cell cultures from embryonic day 17 rats were grown for 7 days in vitro. Cells were treated with methadone for 2..