Chronic treatment with pentazocine or SFK 10047 decrease proenkephalin mRNA levels in the rat striatum and nucleus accumbens.
In order to assess the effect of sigma (sigma) receptor activity on striatal and limbic enkephalinergic cells we measured proenkephalin mRNA levels by in situ hybridization histochemistry after chronic treatment with the sigma-receptor agonist drugs SKF 10047 or pentazocine. Chronic treatment with SKF 10047 decreased proenkephalin mRNA levels in the anterior aspect of the caudate-putamen (CPU) and the nucleus accumbens by 20-22% relative to controls. No significant effect was observed in the medial aspect of the CPU. Treatment with pentazocine decreased proenkephalin mRNA levels by 20-25% in all 3 brain regions. The results demonstrate that sigma-receptor activity can exert tonic effects on proenkephalin mRNA expression in the striatum and the nucleus accumbens of the rat.
Angulo
J A
JA
Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021.
Ledoux
M
M
McEwen
B S
BS
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010423:Pentazocine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010620:Phenazocine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000378:metabolism; D017480:Receptors, sigma
D004745:Enkephalins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D017480:Receptors, sigma; C029992:proenkephalin; C012134:SK&F 10047; D010620:Phenazocine; D010423:Pentazocine