Enhancement of sprouting and putative regeneration of central noradrenergic fibers by morphine.
Treatment of newborn rats with 6-hydroxydopa (6-OHDOPA, 60 micrograms/g IP) increased the levels of norepinephrine in the adult cerebellum and hindbrain. Concurrent treatment with morphine sulfate (20 micrograms/g IP) potentiated the response to 6-OHDOPA in the cerebellum and pons-medulla. In addition, increased noradrenergic neurite density in 4 week cerebellar cortex (as observed with histofluorescent staining by glyoxylic acid) suggests that neonatal morphine increased the sprouting of noradrenergic neurons in the 6-OHDOPA treated rats.
D000320:Adrenergic Fibers / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects; D006892:Hydroxydopamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats
D006892:Hydroxydopamines; D009020:Morphine; D009638:Norepinephrine