Acute amphetamine or methamphetamine alters opioid peptide mRNA expression in rat striatum.
The effects of a single dose of amphetamine or methamphetamine on opioid peptide gene expression in the dorsal and ventral striatum of rats were investigated by quantitative in situ hybridization 3, 6, or 18 h after injection. Although amphetamine-treated rats exhibited significantly different behaviors than those treated with methamphetamine, both drugs caused a patchy increase in preprodynorphin, but not preproenkephalin, mRNA in the caudate at all 3 time points. No changes were detected in the nucleus accumbens. These data indicate that prolonged elevation of preprodynorphin expression may alter the responsiveness of striatonigral neurons to subsequent amphetamine exposure.
Smith
A J
AJ
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, NC 27858.
McGinty
J F
JF
D000661:Amphetamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004399:Dynorphins / Q000235:genetics*; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D004745:Enkephalins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C036448:pre-prodynorphin; D008694:Methamphetamine; D004399:Dynorphins; C033660:preproenkephalin; D000661:Amphetamine