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Morphine-treated Rats (morphine-treated + rat)
Selected AbstractsG,, that interacts with adenylyl cyclase in opioid tolerance originates from a Gs proteinDEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 12 2006Hoau-Yan Wang Abstract We previously demonstrated that chronic morphine induces a change in G protein coupling by the mu opioid receptor (MOR) from Gi/o to Gs, concurrent with the instatement of an interaction between G,, and adenylyl cyclase types II and IV. These two signaling changes confer excitatory effects on the cell in place of the typical inhibition by opioids and are associated with morphine tolerance and dependence. Both signaling changes and these behavioral manifestations of chronic morphine are attenuated by cotreatment with ultra-low-dose naloxone. In the present work, using striatum from chronic morphine-treated rats, we isotyped the G, within Gs and Go heterotrimers that coupled to MOR and compared these to the G, isotype of the G,, that interacted with adenylyl cyclase II or IV after chronic morphine treatment. Isotyping results show that chronic morphine causes a Gs heterotrimer associated with MOR to release its G,, to interact with adenylyl cyclase. These data suggest that the switch to Gs coupling by MOR in response to chronic morphine, which is attenuated by ultra-low-dose opioid antagonist cotreatment, leads to a two-pronged stimulation of adenylyl cyclase utilizing both G, and G,, subunits of the Gs protein novel to this receptor. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Neurobiol, 2006 [source] PRECLINICAL STUDY: Electroacupuncture treatment reverses morphine-induced physiological changes in dopaminergic neurons within the ventral tegmental areaADDICTION BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2009Ling Hu ABSTRACT Chronic morphine administration decreases the size of dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). These transient morphological changes are accompanied by a reduced sensitivity of morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) after chronic exposure to the drug. In this study we examined alterations in the firing rate of DAergic neurons by means of extracellular recording following chronic morphine exposure and applied 100 Hz electroacupuncture (EA) treatment to reverse the reduced firing rate of these neurons. In the first set of experiments we show that in rats, which received chronic morphine treatment for 14 days, a small dose of morphine was not able to induce a CPP response anymore. However, the sensitivity to morphine was reinstated by consecutive EA treatment for 10 days. The electrophysiological response of VTA DA neurons to morphine was markedly reduced in chronic morphine-treated rats compared to saline-treated controls. A substantial recovery of the reactivity of VTA DA neurons to morphine was observed in rats that received 100 Hz EA for 10 days. Our findings suggest that 100 Hz EA is a potential therapy for the treatment of opiate addiction by normalizing the activity of VTA DA neurons. [source] Morphine withdrawal produces circadian rhythm alterations of clock genes in mesolimbic brain areas and peripheral blood mononuclear cells in ratsJOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2009Su-xia Li Abstract Previous studies have shown that clock genes are expressed in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus, other brain regions, and peripheral tissues. Various peripheral oscillators can run independently of the SCN. However, no published studies have reported changes in the expression of clock genes in the rat central nervous system and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) after withdrawal from chronic morphine treatment. Rats were administered with morphine twice daily at progressively increasing doses for 7 days; spontaneous withdrawal signs were recorded 14 h after the last morphine administration. Then, brain and blood samples were collected at each of eight time points (every 3 h: ZT 9; ZT 12; ZT 15; ZT 18; ZT 21; ZT 0; ZT 3; ZT 6) to examine expression of rPER1 and rPER2 and rCLOCK. Rats presented obvious morphine withdrawal signs, such as teeth chattering, shaking, exploring, ptosis, and weight loss. In morphine-treated rats, rPER1 and rPER2 expression in the SCN, basolateral amygdala, and nucleus accumbens shell showed robust circadian rhythms that were essentially identical to those in control rats. However, robust circadian rhythm in rPER1 expression in the ventral tegmental area was completely phase-reversed in morphine-treated rats. A blunting of circadian oscillations of rPER1 expression occurred in the central amygdala, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens core, and PBMCs and rPER2 expression occurred in the central amygdala, prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens core, and PBMCs in morphine-treated rats compared with controls. rCLOCK expression in morphine-treated rats showed no rhythmic change, identical to control rats. These findings indicate that withdrawal from chronic morphine treatment resulted in desynchronization from the SCN rhythm, with blunting of rPER1 and rPER2 expression in reward-related neurocircuits and PBMCs. [source] Chronic Morphine Treatment and Withdrawal Increase Extracellular Levels of Norepinephrine in the Rat Bed Nucleus of the Stria TerminalisJOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2000José Antonio Fuentealba Extracellular levels of norepinephrine (NE) and glutamate (Glu) in the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (vBNST) of saline- and chronic morphine-treated rats, with or without withdrawal, were studied by means of the in vivo microdialysis technique in anesthetized rats. In addition, the tissue concentration of NE was studied at different rostrocaudal levels of the vBNST. Chronic morphine treatment significantly increased extracellular levels of NE, but not Glu, in vBNST. At 48 h after naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal there was a further significant increase in the extracellular levels of NE, but not Glu, in vBNST. The presence of UK 14304, an ,2 -adrenergic agonist, induced a significant decrease in NE extracellular levels in all experimental groups. In contrast, UK 14304 induced a significant decrease in Glu extracellular levels only in saline-treated rats. The results also show that the vBNST presents a rostrocaudal gradient of NE and contains 9.4% of total brain NE. The increase in NE extracellular levels in vBNST induced by chronic morphine treatment and the further increase in NE levels 48 h after naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal suggest that NE in vBNST may be involved in the pharmacological effects of chronic morphine and withdrawal. [source] |