title: Involvement of mu- and delta-opioid receptors in the effects of systemic and locally perfused morphine on extracellular levels of dopamine, DOPAC and HVA in the nucleus accumbens of the halothane-anaesthetized rat.
abstract: The effects of systemic and intra-accumbens infusion of morphine on the extracellular level of dopamine (DA) and its metabolites, DOPAC and HVA, were investigated in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) of halothane-anaesthetized rats using in vivo microdialysis. Morphine in a dose of 1 or 5 mg/kg i.v. produced a significant increase (60-100% of baseline levels) in the extracellular level of DA for at least 3 h. Morphine at 5, but not 1 mg/kg, produced a small (10-15%) but significant reduction in the level of DOPAC when compared with saline in the first h following injection. Pretreatment with the preferential mu-opioid receptor antagonist naloxone in a dose of 1 or 3 mg/kg i.p. significantly blocked the morphine-induced changes in the extracellular levels of DA and DOPAC. Pretreatment with the selective delta-opioid receptor antagonist, naltrindole, at 1 mg/kg i.p. blocked only the morphine-induced decrease in DA metabolism. Furthermore, in the presence of naltrindole, systemic morphine induced a large and long-lasting increase in the level of DOPAC and HVA, which was significantly higher than in rats receiving combinations of saline/water + saline, saline/water + morphine and naltrindole + saline. When applied directly into the NAcc, morphine at concentrations of 125, 250 and 500 ng infused over 10 min produced a dose-related increase in the extracellular level of accumbens DA with either no effect or a small reduction in the level of DOPAC and HVA. The effects of intra-accumbens morphine on DA levels were significantly blocked by pretreatment with i.p. naltrindole but not naloxone. These results indicate that, while systemic morphine probably increases DA via activation of mu-opioid receptors, local perfusion of morphine increases DA in the NAcc via activation of delta-opioid receptors located in the NAcc. Furthermore, under the conditions of the study, it appears that activation of mu- and delta-opioid receptors by morphine respectively increases and decreases DA metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Biology and Pharmacology, Victorian College of Pharmacy, (Monash University), Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Borg
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D006221:Halothane; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D017551:Microdialysis; D009020:Morphine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D009270:Naloxone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D009270:Naloxone; D009020:Morphine; D006221:Halothane; D004298:Dopamine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid