fphar-07-00514 December 22, 2016 Time: 15:54 # 1 ORIGINAL RESEARCH published: 26 December 2016 doi: 10.3389/fphar.2016.00514 Blockade of Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptors Suppresses Behavioral Sensitization and Naloxone-Precipitated Withdrawal Symptoms in Morphine-Treated Mice Gang Pang1†, Xian Wu1†, Xinrong Tao2, Ruoying Mao2, Xueke Liu2, Yong-Mei Zhang3, Guangwu Li1, Robert W. Stackman Jr.4, Liuyi Dong1 and Gongliang Zhang1,4* 1 College of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China, 2 College of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, China, 3 Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, College of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China, 4 Department of Psychology, Jupiter Life Science Initiative, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL, USA Edited by: Youssef Sari, The increasing prescription of opioids is fueling an epidemic of addiction and overdose University of Toledo, USA deaths. Morphine is a highly addictive drug characterized by a high relapse rate – even Reviewed by: Luigia Trabace, after a long period of abstinence. Serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission participates in University of Foggia, Italy the development of morphine dependence, as well as the expression of morphine Shafiqur Rahman, South Dakota State University, USA withdrawal. In this study, we examined the effect of blockade of 5-HT2A receptors *Correspondence: (5-HT2ARs) on morphine-induced behavioral sensitization and withdrawal in male Gongliang Zhang mice. 5-HT2AR antagonist MDL 11,939 (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) suppressed acute morphine
[email protected] (5.0 mg/kg, s.c.)-induced increase in locomotor activity. Mice received morphine †These authors have contributed equally to this work.