Abstract
Influence of morphine on the fine structure of mitochondria in the cells of zona fasciculata in rat adrena 1 cortex was studied electronmicroscopically. By the administration of morphine to rats in a dose of 20 mg/kg, the specific honeycomb like structure of mitochondria in adrenocortical cells was observed to be transformed from vesicular forms into tubulo-vescicular or tubular ones, while the changed structure gradually diminished during repeated administration of the drug. Withdrawal of morphine caused an extensive re-transformation, while with a reinjection of the drug, a prompt restoration to the pretreated structure was observed. The feasibility of utilizing this transformation as an index of physical dependence liability has been discussed.
