Levels of plasma sodium and potassium as well as alterations in adrenal cortex of Rattus norvegicus in response to sublethal heroin administration.

In order to record the effects of sublethal heroin administration on plasma mineral metabolism, the drug was administered intramuscularly (16.4 mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1); 0.75 LD50 dose) in Rattus norvegicus for 30 days. Plasma sodium and potassium levels of the control rats fluctuated between 153.14 +/- 2.88 - 157.23 +/- 2.16 meq l(-1) and 5.04 +/- 0.32 - 5.63 +/- 0.41 meq l(-1), respectively. Plasma sodium level of the treated rats registered a progressive decline (p<0.01) at 24 hr with the minimum value (126.53 +/- 2.68 meq l(-1)) on day 30 whereas plasma potassium level registered a progressive increase during entire period of the treatment with peak (8.78 +/- 0.23 meq l(-1)) on day 30. Though sublethal herion administration for 30 days elcited cytoplasmic vacuolation in all the three zones of adrenal cortex, much of cytological alterations were observed in zona glomerulosa and zona fasciculata cells. In zona glomerulosa cells, degenerative changes in the organelles were more pronounced as evident by the loss of typical cristae in the mitochondria and hormone granules were rarely seen in these cells. Though rough endoplasmic reticula were scanty, many lipid granules encountered in zona glomerulosa cells of the treated rats.