Author(s):

Shawqi H. Al-Awdi*, Hussein O. Al-Kadi and Mohanad M. Shehab

Abstract: Objectives: The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of khat-habituation on psychomotor behavior in mice and the effect of khat withdrawal on reversal of khat habituation effects. Methods: Eighteen adult mice (20-30 gm) were used in this study. The animals were grouped into 3 groups, including one group served as control. Khat-habituation was induced by providing khat in a dose of 2 g/kg with food after an overnight starvation, after one week, the tested animals were provided with both khat-containing and non khat-containing foods and the majority of the tested animals preferred khat-containing food. The animals which preferred khat-containing food were regarded as showing khat-habituation and were continued to feed khat-containing food in a dose of 2g/kg/day for two months to develop chronic khat habituation, animals which had not preferred khat-containing food were excluded from the study and were regarded as resistant to khat habituation. Khat-withdrawal was induced by feeding animals with food without khat for a period of 14 days. Locomotor activities of animals were noticed and determined according the behavior scale grading to assess the effect of khat-habituation on locomotor activity, and khat-withdrawal on reversal of khat-effects. Results: Khat-habituated animals showed significant increase in stereotypic psychomotor behavior maximally reached 15-30 minutes after khat consumption. Khat-withdrawal for 14 days was associated with normalization of psychomotor behavior in mice. Conclusion: Chronic khat-habituation has a prominent increase in psychomotor behavior in mice; this effect is transient and can be reversed by after its cessation.

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