Assessment of laparotomy-induced stress response in opium- and morphine-addicted rats by measuring serum glucose and corticosterone levels: an animal experiment.
Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) March 1, 2025 Yeganeh Pakbaz, Sepideh Eydivandi, Ayda Khandani et al. 1 citation
Chronic opioid use may dampen the neuroendocrine response to surgical stress. In a rat model, animals addicted to morphine or opium showed lower corticosterone levels after laparotomy than controls, though the difference was not statistically significant. Blood glucose, a marker of stress-induced hyperglycemia, was significantly higher in control rats both immediately after surgery and 30 minutes later, indicating a sustained response that was blunted in addicted rats. No significant differences emerged between morphine- and opium-addicted groups. The findings suggest that long-term opioid exposure can alter the body's hormonal stress response, potentially affecting recovery from surgery. However, the small sample size and lack of baseline measurements limit the conclusions.