title: Lack of involvement of endogenous mu-receptor opioids in the hypothermic effects of clonidine in normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats.
abstract: The effects of successive injections of the alpha-adrenoceptor agonist clonidine (25, 50 and 100 ug/kg given at hourly intervals) on the body temperature of normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats, previously treated for 48 hr with slow release emulsions (subcutaneous) containing either morphine (morphine SR, 100 mg/kg), naloxone (naloxone SR, 80 mg/kg) or no drug (vehicle SR), were examined. The successive injections of clonidine produced dose-dependent falls in body temperature which were quantitatively similar in the vehicle-treated WKY and spontaneously hypertensive rats. The hypothermic effects of clonidine in the morphine-dependent WKY and spontaneously hypertensive rats, and in the naloxone-treated WKY and spontaneously hypertensive rats, were not different to those of the respective vehicle-treated controls. These results suggest that endogenous mu-receptor opioid peptides do not have a major involvement in the hypothermic actions of clonidine, in either normotensive or spontaneously hypertensive rats.
authors.affiliation: University of Melbourne, Austin Hospital, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Svec
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Fennessy
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jarrott
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects*; D003000:Clonidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009294:Narcotics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000378:metabolism*; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu
chemical_list: D009294:Narcotics; D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D009020:Morphine; D003000:Clonidine