title: Chronic morphine alters calbindin D-28k immunostaining patterns in mouse forebrain.
abstract: The influence of chronic morphine treatment on the brain of adult mouse has been studied. Female Swiss mice were daily administered saline or morphine (30 or 60 mg/kg body weight) for a period comprising 7 days before mating, during gestation and until 21 days post-partum. Their brains were then perfusion-fixed and examined for histology and calbindin D-28k protein-immunoreactivity. Histological observations revealed no significant changes in the various brain regions; whereas a reduced number of calbindin-positive cells was encountered in the cingulate and parietal cortices and the lateral septal regions of morphine-treated brains compared with those of controls. The alteration in the expression-patterns of this neuroprotective calcium-binding protein in specific regions of the adult brain might be one of the mechanisms by which the addictive drugs modify the functional aspects of the CNS.
authors.affiliation: CNR Institute of Cybernetics, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maharajan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prencipe
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Falchetti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Francesco
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paino
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Maharajan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D064026:Calbindins; D005260:Female; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009294:Narcotics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019579:Neocortex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D011247:Pregnancy; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D064026:Calbindins; D009294:Narcotics; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G; D009020:Morphine