Exogenous cholecystokinin (CCK) reduces neonatal rat brain opioid receptor density and CCK levels.
Newborn rats were given saline or cholecystokinin8 (CCK8) (5 micrograms/kg, twice daily) i.p. for 3 weeks. On day 21, effects on brain development were assessed. CCK-like immunoreactivity was measured in 7 brain regions; a small (12-18%) but significant decrease in endogenous levels of this peptide was detected in cerebral cortex, medulla and pons of the CCK-treated rats. Morphometric measurements revealed a slight reduction in thickness of most cerebral cortical sections within the CCK-treated group. The area of a midsagittal section of the cerebellum was unchanged except for the Purkinje/granule cell layer, which was smaller in CCK-treated animals. Levels of mu-, delta- and kappa-opioid receptors were estimated by homologous displacement binding assays using selective radioligands. The CCK treatment resulted in a significant decrease in levels of mu- (11%) and delta- (13%)-sites in the cerebral cortex. Neither binding affinities nor kappa-receptor densities were altered. Other animals received the same treatment regimens for 21 days and were maintained for an additional 29 days without treatment; these rats had reductions only in cortical mu-sites (15%). Chronic intraventricular administration of CCK (0.1 microgram/h) to adult rats did not elicit a similar down-regulation of cortical mu or delta receptors, suggesting that the effects observed in neonates reflected developmental processes.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001681:Biological Assay; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D002766:Cholecystokinin / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000032:analysis*; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta; D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D012844:Sincalide / Q000494:pharmacology*
D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta; D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D002766:Cholecystokinin; D012844:Sincalide