Objective To study the effect of psychotropic drugs (heroin) on the expression of Bax gene in the cerebellum of addicted rats.
Methods The addictive rat model was established by dose-increasing method, and the expression of Bax gene in cerebellar cells was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results After continuous injection of heroin to rats for 7 days, the rats showed obvious withdrawal symptoms; the levels of Bax, caspase-3 and caspase-9 in cerebellar cells were increased by 88.21%, 94.21% and 87.24%, respectively, compared with the control group. There was a significant difference (P<0.01).
Conclusion The damage effect of mental dependence drugs (heroin) on brain tissue cells may be achieved by inducing the expression of Bax gene in the cerebellum and activating caspase.