Background: Tramadol is an analgesic used in moderate and severe pain however, tramadol abuse among adolescence leads to various alterations in brain histological structure that leads to psychiatric and physical abnormalities.
Aim of the Work: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of tramadol abuse in male albino rabbits on the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus and the effect of its withdrawal.
Material and Methods: Thirty male albino rabbits were divided into three groups; the control group, the tramadol treated group in which rabbits were received tramadol 42 mg/ kg/ day for ten days then the dose was increased to 84 mg/kg/day for another ten days then 168 mg/kg/day for another ten days. The tramadol recovery group in which rabbits were received the same doses as the previous group then the tramadol intake was stopped and the rabbits were sacrificed after 4 weeks. In the present study, the histological and immunohistochemical studies of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus were evaluated.
Results: tramadol abuse among the tramadol treated group caused neuronal cell disorganization in cerebral cortex and hippocampus in the form of cell apoptosis, wide intercellular space, degenerative vacuolation and diffuse chromatolyses and strong positive Caspase–3 antibody reaction. After stoppage of tramadol there were many normal neurons with decease the percentile of cell apoptosis, wide intercellular space, degenerative vacuolation and diffuse chromatolyses and mild positive Caspase–3 antibody reaction.
Conclusion: Tramadol abuse induced neurotoxicity and histological changes in brain tissue although, after stoppage of tramadol intake there was incomplete regression of brain histopathological alterations