Neural bases for attenuation of morphine withdrawal by Heantos-4: role of l-tetrahydropalmatine

Severe withdrawal symptoms triggered by cessation of long-term opioid use deter many individuals from seeking treatment. Opioid substitution and α2-adrenergic agonists are the current standard of pharmacotherapy for opioid use disorder in western medicine; however, each is associated with significant complications. Heantos-4 is a non-opioid botanical formulation used to facilitate opioid detoxification in Vietnam. While ongoing clinical use continues to validate its safety and effectiveness, a mechanism of action accounting for these promising effects remains to be specified. Here, we assess the effects of Heantos-4 in a rat model of morphine-dependence and present evidence that alleviation of naloxone-precipitated somatic withdrawal signs is related to an upregulation of mesolimbic dopamine activity and a consequent reversal of a hypodopaminergic state in the nucleus accumbens, a brain region implicated in opioid withdrawal. A central dopaminergic mechanism is further supported by the identification of l-tetrahydropalmatine as a key active ingredient in Heantos-4, which crosses the blood–brain barrier and shows a therapeutic efficacy comparable to its parent formulation in attenuating withdrawal signs. The anti-hypodopaminergic effects of l-tetrahydropalmatine may be related to antagonism of the dopamine autoreceptor, thus constituting a plausible mechanism contributing to the effectiveness of Heantos-4 in facilitating opioid detoxification.