Interactions of peripheral and central μ opioid systems during emotional stress

Background Numerous studies support an important contribution of endogenous opioid peptide systems in the mechanisms of emotional behavior. It is well known that the structure of opioid receptors (OR) and endogenous opioid peptides in the CNS and in the periphery is identical, but the central and peripheral functions of endogenous opioid systems are considered different, because the blood-brain barrier (BBB) generally prevents the entry of peptides into the brain. We hypothesize that the central and peripheral components of the endogenous opioid system function in close relationship, interacting with each other. The aim of this work was to study an influence of a peripheral administration of the μ opioid receptor ligands, which do not penetrate the BBB, on behavioral parameters as well as on extracellular levels of b-endorphin (BE) in the the cingulate cortex (CC) of rats during acute emotional stress.