title: A pharmacologic study of analgesia produced by stimulation of the nucleus locus coeruleus.
abstract: Pharmacologic studies of analgesia produced by stimulation of the nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) were conducted using the rat hot-plate test. A correlation between self-stimulation and analgesia produced by stimulation of LC was found. Analgesia produced by LC stimulation was attenuated by naloxone, a morphine antagonist, cyproheptidine, a serotonin antagonist, and WB-4101, an alpha-adrenergic antagonist. The analgesia was absent in 6-OHDA-treated rats. Catecholamine synthesis inhibition by a combination of reserpine and AMT or more specific inhibition of noradrenaline synthesis by DDC elevated latency to paw lick and yet did not affect stimulation-produced analgesia. It is suggested that morphinergic, serotonergic, and alpha-adrenergic mechanisms mediate LC stimulation produced analgesia.
mesh_terms: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000698:Analgesia; D000818:Animals; D003000:Clonidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003533:Cyproheptadine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004050:Ditiocarb / Q000494:pharmacology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006892:Hydroxydopamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D008125:Locus Coeruleus / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D012110:Reserpine / Q000494:pharmacology; D012653:Self Stimulation
chemical_list: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D006892:Hydroxydopamines; D005473:Fluoxetine; D003533:Cyproheptadine; D009270:Naloxone; D012110:Reserpine; D004050:Ditiocarb; D003000:Clonidine