The influence of single and repeated doses of morphine, pentazocine, and chlorpromazine on the latent time of cortical evoked potentials was observed in rats. The evoked potentials were induced by electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve under the condition of curarization and artificial respiration. The evoked potential consisted of 4 phases. The latent time of the N2 component was prolonge...

BACKGROUND The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is a crucial component of the neuronal circuitry mediating aversive emotion. Its role in the negative affective states during drug withdrawal includes changes in opioidergic, GABAergic, and corticotropin-releasing factor neurotransmission. However, the modulation of the neurobiological interconnectivity in the CeA and its effects in the negat...

Introduction: Opiates cause dependency via affect on central nervous system. Locus coeruleus nucleus is a main group of noradrenergic neurons in the brain that plays an important role in the expression of opioid withdrawal signs. During opioid withdrawal, brain waves change in addition to physical and behavioral signs. In this study, we examined the effects of locus coeruleus electrical sti...

Introduction: The influence of morphine on pituitary secretion through µmu receptors has been nearly known. It is also reported that morphine has an effect on cell proliferation. In the present study we investigated the effect of morphine on the proliferation of acidophil cells of adenohypophysis in male rat. Method: This study has been carried out on 14 adult male Wistar rats divided into two ...

Monoaminergic drugs can modify opioid withdrawal in nonhumans, and cocaine is reported to attenuate opioid withdrawal in humans. Drug discrimination was used to examine whether s.c. cocaine or other indirect-acting monoamine agonists attenuate morphine (3.2 mg/kg/day) withdrawal induced by naltrexone and by 27 h of morphine deprivation. Naltrexone-precipitated withdrawal was attenuated not only...

Adaptations in neurons of the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) induced by chronic morphine treatment mediate expression of many signs of opioid withdrawal. The abnormally elevated action potential rate of opioid-sensitive PAG neurons is a likely cellular mechanism for withdrawal expression. We report here that opioid withdrawal in vitro induced an opioid-sensitive cation current that was medi...

BACKGROUND Glycogen-synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) is involved in many signaling pathways and is associated with a host of high-profile pathophysiological states. However, its role in morphine tolerance, especially naloxone-precipitated withdrawal syndrome, has not been well investigated. The present study was undertaken to study the role of GSK3 in chronic morphine exposure. METHODS Adult male Spr...

We measured stimulation of c-fos and oxytocin gene expression during excitation of oxytocin cells induced by systemic or local morphine withdrawal. Female rats were made morphine-dependent by intracerebroventricular morphine infusion over 5 d. Morphine withdrawal, induced by systemic injection of the opioid antagonist naloxone (5 mg/kg) in conscious or anesthetized rats, increased the density o...