title: Lithium alters mu-opioid receptor expression in the rat brain.
abstract: Lithium can potentiate the effects of antidepressant drugs and alters morphine analgesia and phosphoinositide turnover. Analysis of mu-opioid receptor immunostaining after chronic lithium administration in rats revealed an increase in the density of cells expressing mu-opioid receptors in the caudatus-putamen, the dentate gyrus, the lateral septum and the frontal, parietal and piriform cortices. These data suggest that mu-opioid receptor expression in the rat forebrain is altered by in vivo chronic lithium treatment. This could be a compensatory mechanism, induced in part by the effects of lithium on mu-opioid receptor transduction mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: de Gandarias
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Acebes
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Echevarría
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vegas
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Abecia
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Casis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D008094:Lithium