Objective To study the effect of heroin on the expression of Bax gene in the cerebellum of addictive rats.
Methods The rat model of addiction was established by continuous 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 for 7 days, the rats showed obvious withdrawal symptoms; The levels of Bax, caspase-3 and caspase-9 in cerebellar cells were 88.21%, 94.21% and 87.24% higher than those in the control group respectively, with significant difference compared with the control group (P<0.01).
Conclusion The damage of mental dependence drugs (heroin) to brain cells may be realized by inducing the expression of Bax gene in cerebellum and activating caspase.