Babak Rooshanravan - Medical student, Student Research Committee, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
Tahereh Farkhondeh - Cardiovascular Diseases Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
Omid Mehrpour - Medical Toxicology and Drug Abuse Research Center (MTDRC), Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
Saeed Samarghandian - Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran

Background and Objectives: Our knowledge of the adverse effects of buprenorphine (BUP) during lactation is not sufficient. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of BUP on hematological, biochemical, and immune system parameters in the sera of female rats and their pups. Materials and Method: Lactating rats received BUP 0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg subcutaneously for 21 days. The present findings indicated that BUP had no effects on body weight, hematological parameters (i.e., red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), platelets (PLT), neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, MCV(mean corpuscular volume), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCHC) concentration, glucose, and lipid profile [total cholesterol (TC) , triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), and serum biochemical parameters (i.e., AST(aspartate aminotransferase), ALT, gamma-glutamyl transferase(GGT), LDH, TBIL (total bilirubin), total protein, creatinine(Cr), urea and uric acid)] in lactating female rats and their pups. Findings: BUP decreased the hematocrit value and the percentage of lymphocytes but increased the percentage of neutrophils in BUP-exposed pups. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that the administration of low doses of BUP might be safe during lactation; however, further studies should be performed to confirm the use of this drug during lactation.

Buprenorphine, hematology, biochemistry, immunology, lactation, newborn rat