title: Comparison of the effect of morphine on locus coeruleus noradrenergic and ventral tegmental area dopaminergic neurons in vitro.
abstract: Extracellular single-cell recordings were performed on rat brain slices to compare the effects of morphine on noradrenergic neurons of the locus coeruleus (LC) and on dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Morphine inhibited the firing of LC neurons at very low concentrations. The mean IC50 was 13.4 +/- 1nM (mean +/- SEM) (n = 7). Moreover, the inhibitory effect of morphine was identical in slices obtained from rats anesthetized with chloral hydrate or from non-anesthetized rats. On the contrary, morphine did not have any influence on the firing of most VTA neurons (N = 20) up to 100 microM, and did not modify the sensitivity of their autoreceptors (N = 8). It is concluded that morphine potently inhibits the firing of LC neurons in vitro both in slices of anesthetized and not anesthetized animals and has no direct excitatory effect on VTA dopaminergic neurons of the rat.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmacology, University of Liege, Belgium.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Seutin
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Franchimont
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Massotte
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dresse
mesh_terms: D000320:Adrenergic Fibers / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000758:Anesthesia; D000818:Animals; D002697:Chloral Hydrate; D046508:Culture Techniques; D008125:Locus Coeruleus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000187:drug effects; D013681:Tegmentum Mesencephali / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D002697:Chloral Hydrate; D009020:Morphine