title: A study of oral morphine preference in inbred mouse strains.
abstract: C57BL/6J mice, in two-bottle choice paradigms, show increased oral morphine consumption, compared with DBA/2J mice. To determine whether this C57 morphine preference reflects differences in the receptor-mediated, reward-based action of morphine (as opposed to pharmacokinetic or gustatory differences), three experiments were performed. Consistent with previous two-bottle choice experiments, C57 mean (+/- S.D.) morphine consumption was 18 +/- 3 mg/kg/day, while the DBA mice consumed 1.4 +/- 1.2 mg/kg/day. Intraperitoneal naltrexone produced a 50% decrease in C57 morphine consumption (p < 0.01), while DBA mice showed no change. Consumption of fluid from the control bottle was not changed for either strain. Fifteen and 30 min after oral consumption of a morphine solution, plasma levels of morphine and its glucuronide derivative were not different between these two strains. C57 mice maintained a daily morphine intake of approximately 20 mg/kg across morphine concentrations of 0.05-0.4 mg/ml. These experiments suggest that the difference in oral morphine preference between C57 and DBA mice represents a reward-based mechanism which is mediated through opiate receptors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107.
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Berrettini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: T N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Ferraro
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Vogel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D009021:Morphine Dependence / Q000235:genetics*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D009020:Morphine