title: Role of the dorsal raphe nucleus in morphine-induced immediate early gene expression in the rat striatum.
abstract: Serotonin (5-HT) is thought to be involved in morphine action in the brain. To determine if the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) are involved in morphine-induced c-Fos and JunB expression in the caudate-putamen (CPu), the mu receptor antagonist, beta-funaltrexamine (beta-FNA), was unilaterally infused into the PAG adjacent to DRN prior to morphine. Behaviorally, beta-FNA prevented morphine-induced loss of righting and Straub tail. In the CPu of beta-FNA treated rats, morphine-induced c-Fos and JunB were attenuated compared to vehicle-infused rats. These results suggest that morphine acts within the PAG-DRN to exert rapid behavioral effects and to induce c-Fos and JunB in the striatum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Frankel
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Harlan
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Garcia
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D017781:Genes, Immediate-Early / Q000187:drug effects*; D016762:Genes, fos / Q000187:drug effects; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010487:Periaqueductal Gray; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011903:Raphe Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D012701:Serotonin; D009271:Naltrexone; C024524:beta-funaltrexamine; D009020:Morphine