title: Prolactin response to morphine in intact and adrenalectomized lactating rats.
abstract: To examine the hypothesis that the increased adrenocortical activity during lactation induced the loss of the prolactin (PRL) -releasing effect of morphine, we studied the effect of morphine in adrenalectomized (ADX) and sham-operated primiparous lactating Wistar rats. Animals were adrenalectomized 4 days after delivery. On day 11 of lactation (7 days after ADX), pups were separated from their mother 2 h before morphine or haloperidol injection. Intravenous injection of 5 mg/kg morphine did not change plasma PRL levels in the sham-operated lactating rats, but it resulted in a significant increase of plasma PRL levels in ADX lactating animals, with or without corticosterone replacement. Catalepsy following 10 mg/kg i.v. morphine was also markedly enhanced in ADX lactating animals. The PRL response to 0.5 mg/kg haloperidol was higher in ADX lactating animals than that in the controls. Morphine given 2 h after haloperidol treatment resulted in a further increase of plasma PRL in ADX, but not in the sham-operated lactating animals. These results suggest that adrenal hyperfunction may lead to a loss of sensitivity to morphine during lactation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest.
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Kiem
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Fekete
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bartha
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Makara
mesh_terms: D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000818:Animals; D002375:Catalepsy / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006220:Haloperidol / Q000494:pharmacology; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D009020:Morphine; D011388:Prolactin; D006220:Haloperidol; D003345:Corticosterone