title: Role of nitric oxide in the rat hippocampal CA1 area on morphine-induced conditioned place preference.
abstract: Effects of intrahippocampal CA1 injections of L-arginine, a nitric oxide (NO) precursor, and N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, on morphine-induced conditioned place preference in male Wistar rats were investigated. Animals received subcutaneous (s.c.) injections of saline (1.0 ml/kg) or morphine (0.5-7.5 mg/kg) once daily for 3 days to induce conditioned place preference. The administration of L-arginine (0.3, 1.0, and 3.0 microg/rat), but not L-NAME (0.3, 1.0, and 3.0, microg/rat), prior to administration of morphine (5.0 mg/kg) during acquisition of morphine-induced conditioned place preference increased morphine-induced conditioned place preference, but the interaction between the response to morphine and/or L-arginine was not statistically significant. The response to L-arginine was blocked by L-NAME pre-administration. L-Arginine or L-NAME by itself did not induce conditioned place preference. The administration of L-arginine but not L-NAME, 1 min before conditioned place preference testing, increased the expression of morphine-induced conditioned place preference. Pre-administration of L-NAME blocked the L-arginine response. It is concluded that NO in the rat hippocampal CA1 area may be involved in morphine-induced conditioned place preference.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Tehran University, Iran.
authors.forename: Manizheh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karami
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Zarrindast
authors.forename: Houri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sepehri
authors.forename: Hedayat
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sahraei
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008845:Microinjections; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D009020:Morphine; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; C496322:Nos1 protein, rat; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester