Effects of morphine-dependent and withdrawal on activation of the distal cerebrospinal fluid contacting neurons' phosphorylation CREB in rat brain.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the changes of pCREB protein expression in the distal cerebrospinal fluid contacting neurons induced by chronic morphine dependence and withdrawal.


METHODS
Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats of both genders were randomly divided into three groups (n=8 each): control (Group I); chronic morphine dependence (Group II); chronic morphine abstinence (Group III). Chronic morphine dependence was induced by increasing doses of morphine, starting from 5 to 260 mg/kg/day in 12 days. The animals were killed 24 hours later. We evaluated morphine dependence by measuring the behavioral expression of morphine withdrawal and pCREB double labeled neuron recordings of dorsal raphe nucleus. The CB-HRP/pCREB double labeling method was used to observe the expression of pCREB in the distal cerebrospinal fluid contacting neurons.


RESULTS
The results showed the number of double labeled neuron of distal cerebrospinal fluid contacting neuron in dorsal raphe nucleus with up-regulated expression.


CONCLUSIONS
Morphine-dependent and withdrawal can activate the distal cerebrospinal fluid contacting neurons phosphorylation CREB in rat brain. The cerebrospinal fluid contacting neuron is related to morphine withdrawal and dependence rats.
Zhang
Lin
L
Department of Anesthesia, the First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China.
Chen
Qiu-Ping
QP
Wang
Jun-Ke
JK
Zhang
Li-Cai
LC
Zeng
Yin-Ming
YM
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D050882:CREB-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009021:Morphine Dependence / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D009270:Naloxone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D009294:Narcotics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D011903:Raphe Nuclei / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009294:Narcotics; D009270:Naloxone; D009020:Morphine; D050882:CREB-Binding Protein