title: Wild ginseng attenuates repeated morphine-induced behavioral sensitization in rats.
abstract: Many studies have suggested that the behavioral and reinforcing effects of morphine are induced by hyperactivation of the mesolimbic dopaminergic system, which results in increases in locomotor activity, c-Fos expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). In order to investigate the effect of wild ginseng (WG) on treating morphine addiction, we examined the behavioral sensitization of locomotor activity and c-Fos and TH expression in the rat brain using immunohistochemistry. Intraperitioneal injection of WG (100 and 200 mg/kg), 30 min before administration of a daily injection of morphine (40 mg/kg, s.c.), significantly inhibited morphine-induced increases in c-Fos expression in NAc and TH expression in VTA as well as in locomotor activity, as compared with Panax ginseng. It was demonstrated that the inhibitory effect of WG on the behavioral sensitization after repeated exposure to morphine was closely associated with the reduction of dopamine biosynthesis and postsynaptic neuronal activity. It suggests that WG extract may be effective for inhibiting the behavioral effects of morphine by possibly modulating the central dopaminergic system and that WG might be a useful resource to develop an agent for preventing and treating morphine addiction.
authors.affiliation: Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Bombi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sunoh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Mijung
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yeom
authors.forename: Insop
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Hyejung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dae-hyun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Hahm
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D009021:Morphine Dependence / Q000628:therapy*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D010936:Plant Extracts; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase