Chronic morphine sensitizes the brain norepinephrine system to corticotropin-releasing factor and stress.
Chronic opiate use produces persistent changes in brain neurons that are expressed as adverse effects, including physical dependence and compulsive drug-seeking behavior. Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal response to stress also occurs with chronic opiate administration and has been implicated as a contributing factor to continued substance abuse. This study provides the first evidence for dysregulation of the central noradrenergic response to stress by chronic opiates. Chronic morphine selectively sensitized locus ceruleus (LC)-norepinephrine (NE) neurons to corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), an integral mediator of the stress response. CRF doses that were inactive in vehicle-treated rats produced a near-maximal activation of LC neurons of rats chronically administered morphine. LC sensitization to CRF was not solely a pharmacological phenomenon but was expressed as hyperresponsivity to physiological stress. Finally, opiate-induced LC sensitization translated to a change in the behavioral repertoire in response to environmental stress (swim stress) such that NE-mediated hyperactive behaviors predominated. The opiate-induced sensitization of the central NE response to stress predicts that chronic opiate administration increases vulnerability to certain stress-related symptoms (e.g., hyperarousal, attentional dysfunction), and this may contribute to the maintenance of opiate-seeking behavior.
Xu
Guang-Ping
GP
Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
Van Bockstaele
Elisabeth
E
Reyes
Beverly
B
Bethea
Thelma
T
Valentino
Rita J
RJ
D015124:8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007022:Hypotension / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D008125:Locus Coeruleus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009294:Narcotics / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009599:Nitroprusside; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013995:Time
D009294:Narcotics; D009599:Nitroprusside; D015124:8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate; D009020:Morphine; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D009638:Norepinephrine