Single injections of morphine induce a state of acute opioid dependence in humans and animals, measured as precipitated withdrawal when an antagonist is administered 4-24 h after morphine. Additional morphine exposure at daily or weekly intervals results in further increases in withdrawal severity, suggesting that acute opioid dependence reflects the early stages in the development of a chronic...

Aromatase is an enzyme that facilitates the conversion of androgens to estrogens and may play a role in mood and mental status. The main theme of this thesis is the imaging of brain aromatase by use of the PET technique. The PET tracer for aromatase, C-labeled vorozole (VOZ) was developed and evaluated by with in vitro and in vivo methods. In vitro experiments using rat brain showed that VOZ wa...

Abstract Bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) neurons that synthesize corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) drive binge alcohol drinking and anxiety. Here, we found female C57BL/6J mice drink more than males have greater basal BNST CRF neuron excitability synaptic excitation. We identified a dense VGLUT2 + input from paraventricular thalamus (PVT) releases glutamate directly onto but also ...