title: Modulation of preproenkephalin mRNA levels in brain regions and spinal cord of rats treated chronically with morphine.
abstract: The effect of morphine tolerance/dependence and abstinence on the preproenkephalin (PPE) gene expression was determined in brain regions and spinal cord of the rat. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were rendered tolerant and physically dependent on morphine by SC implantation of six pellets, each containing 75 mg of morphine base, during a 7-day period. Placebo pellet-implanted rats served as controls. In tolerant rats, the pellets were left in place at the time of sacrifice whereas in abstinent rats, the pellets were removed 16 h prior to sacrificing. The levels of PPE mRNA were determined in brain regions (striatum, cortex, pons-medulla, hypothalamus, amygdala, and midbrain) and spinal cord. The levels of PPE mRNA increased significantly in the cortex (62%) and the spinal cord (352%) of morphine-tolerant rats when compared to placebo pellet-implanted control rats. In other brain regions, the levels of PPE mRNA in placebo and morphine-tolerant rats did not differ. On the other hand, in morphine-abstinent rats, the levels of PPE mRNA increased in the striatum (62%) and hypothalamus (34%) but were decreased in pons-medulla (68%), midbrain (51%), and spinal cord (36%) in comparison to the placebo controls. The results clearly demonstrate differential changes in enkephalin gene expression in brain regions and spinal cord of the abstinent and nonabstinent morphine-tolerant/dependent rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacodynamics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Health Sciences Center 60612, USA.
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Gudehithlu
authors.forename: H N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Bhargava
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009021:Morphine Dependence / Q000378:metabolism*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012016:Reference Values; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004745:Enkephalins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009020:Morphine; C033660:preproenkephalin