title: Involvement of delta- and mu-opioid receptors in the potentiation of brain-stimulation reward.
abstract: A rate-free method of determining brain-stimulation reward thresholds was used to identify the rewarding effects of the delta-opioid receptor and mu-opioid receptor agonist peptides, [D-Pen2, D-Pen5]enkephalin (DPDPE) and [D-Ala2-MePhe4-Gly(o1)5]enkephalin (DAMGO). The nucleus accumbens-delivered opioid receptor agonists produced marked lowering of the threshold for ventral tegmental area brain-stimulation reward. No change in baseline thresholds was seen after peripheral administration of the nonpeptide delta-opioid receptor antagonist, naltrindole. However, an unexpected finding was that naltrindole blocked the threshold-lowering effects of both DPDPE and DAMGO. These data demonstrate nucleus accumbens activation of delta- and mu-opioid receptors and ventral tegmental area brain-stimulation reward share common brain substrates. In addition, the interference of both delta- and mu-opioid receptor mediated reward by naltrindole may have implications for therapeutic use.
authors.affiliation: Boston University School of Medicine, Laboratory of Behavioral Pharmacology, MA 02118, USA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Duvauchelle
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kornetsky
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D020875:Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-; D020881:Enkephalin, D-Penicillamine (2,5)-; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta / Q000819:agonists; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000819:agonists; D012201:Reward
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D004745:Enkephalins; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D020875:Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-; D020881:Enkephalin, D-Penicillamine (2,5)-