Search results for "opioid receptor"
showing 10 items of 46 documents
Regional differences in mu-opioid receptor-dependent modulation of basal dopamine transmission in rat striatum
2016
Abstract The nigrostriatal dopamine system is implicated in the regulation of reward and motor activity. Dopamine (DA) release in dorsal striatum (DS) is controlled by the firing rate of DA neurons in substantia nigra pars compacta. However, influences at terminal level, such as those involving activation of mu opioid receptors (MORs), can play a key role in determining DA levels in striatum. Nonetheless, published data also suggest that the effect of opioid drugs on DA levels may differ depending on the DS subregion analyzed. In this study, in vivo microdialysis in rats was used to explore this regional dependence. Changes in basal DA levels induced by local retrodialysis application of DA…
Shell/core differences in mu- and delta-opioid receptor modulation of dopamine efflux in nucleus accumbens
2008
The mu- and delta-opioid receptors located at the terminal level in nucleus accumbens are involved in the opiate modulation of dopamine release in this brain area. However, recent studies suggest that the effects of opioid drugs on the core subregion of nucleus accumbens may completely differ from those observed in the shell. We used in vivo microdialysis to simultaneously apply selective mu- and delta-opioid receptor agonists and to measure extracellular levels of dopamine in three subregions of the accumbens, namely shell, core, and the transition zone between them. The regional analysis of these subregions of the accumbens demonstrated that basal levels of dopamine and its metabolites we…
A runner’s high depends on cannabinoid receptors in mice
2015
Exercise is rewarding, and long-distance runners have described a runner's high as a sudden pleasant feeling of euphoria, anxiolysis, sedation, and analgesia. A popular belief has been that endogenous endorphins mediate these beneficial effects. However, running exercise increases blood levels of both β-endorphin (an opioid) and anandamide (an endocannabinoid). Using a combination of pharmacologic, molecular genetic, and behavioral studies in mice, we demonstrate that cannabinoid receptors mediate acute anxiolysis and analgesia after running. We show that anxiolysis depends on intact cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) receptors on forebrain GABAergic neurons and pain reduction on activation of pe…
Improved effect of the combination naltrexone/D-penicillamine in the prevention of alcohol relapse-like drinking in rats
2014
Opioid antagonists are licensed drugs for treating alcohol use disorders; nonetheless, clinical studies have evidenced their limited effectiveness. Preclinical findings indicate that opioid receptor (OR) antagonists, such as naltrexone (NTX), reduce the alcohol deprivation effect (ADE). However, a detailed analysis of published data shows the existence of a delayed increase in ethanol consumption after continuous OR blockade, a phenomenon originally called as ‘delayed ADE’. We have recently reported that D-penicillamine (DP) is able to prevent ADE through a mechanism dependent on the inactivation of acetaldehyde, the main metabolite of ethanol. Hypothetically, OR activation would be trigge…
Dose-dependent induction of CPP or CPA by intra-pVTA ethanol: Role of mu opioid receptors and effects on NMDA receptors.
2020
AbstractThe neurobiological mechanisms underlying alcohol motivational properties are still not fully understood, however, the mu-opioid receptors (MORs) have been evidenced as central elements in the manifestation of the alcohol reinforcing properties. Drug-associated environmental stimuli can trigger alcohol relapse and promote alcohol consumption whereby N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors play a pivotal role. Here we sought to demonstrate, for the first time, that ethanol induces conditioned place preference or aversion (CPP or CPA) when administered locally into the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the associated role of MORs. We further analyzed the changes in the expression and mRN…
GHB differentially affects morphine actions on motor activity and social behaviours in male mice
2003
There are several reports suggesting that gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) influences the endogenous opioid system. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of GHB on motor and social activities and to examine its influence on morphine's actions on these behaviours. In a first experiment, several doses of GHB were studied but only the highest (200 and 400 mg/kg) produced a decrease in spontaneous motor activity measured in an actimeter cage. When hyperactivity induced by injecting 50 mg/kg of morphine was evaluated, all the GHB doses efficiently counteracted this morphine action. Using the paradigm of isolation-induced aggression, administration of 200 mg/kg of GHB significantly de…
Catalase-independent early-gene expression in rat brain following acute ethanol exposure
2004
Early-gene expression evoked by acute ethanol treatment was studied in rat brain by quantitative immunocytochemistry, with reference to ethanol metabolism by the enzyme catalase. Colocalization with mu-opioid receptor (MOR) sites was also examined. Ethanol challenges [1, 2.5, and 4 g/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.)] evoked dose-dependent increases in c-Fos expression in several brain regions, but overlap with MOR-rich sites was only partial. Strong inhibition of brain catalase activity (ca. 60%) with 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (AT, 1 g/kg i.p.) did not alter ethanol-induced c-Fos nor Krox-24 expression in any of the brain regions analyzed. This evidence demonstrates that catalase-mediated metabolis…
Inflammatory Pain Promotes Increased Opioid Self-Administration: Role of Dysregulated Ventral Tegmental Area μ Opioid Receptors
2015
Pain management in opioid abusers engenders ethical and practical difficulties for clinicians, often resulting in pain mismanagement. Although chronic opioid administration may alter pain states, the presence of pain itself may alter the propensity to self-administer opioids, and previous history of drug abuse comorbid with chronic pain promotes higher rates of opioid misuse. Here, we tested the hypothesis that inflammatory pain leads to increased heroin self-administration resulting from altered mu opioid receptor (MOR) regulation of mesolimbic dopamine (DA) transmission. To this end, the complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) model of inflammation was used to assess the neurochemical and functi…
The rewarding effects of ethanol are modulated by binge eating of a high-fat diet during adolescence
2017
Abstract Binge-eating is considered a specific form of overeating characterized by intermittent and high caloric food intake in a short period of time. Epidemiologic studies support a positive relation between the ingestion of fat and ethanol (EtOH), specifically among adolescent subjects. The aim of this work was to clarify the role of the compulsive, limited and intermittent intake of a high-fat food during adolescence on the rewarding effects of EtOH. After binge-eating for 2 h, three days a week from postnatal day (PND) 29, the reinforcing effects of EtOH were tested with EtOH self-administration (SA), conditioned place preference (CPP) and ethanol locomotor sensitization procedures in …
Kappa opioid receptor blockade in the nucleus accumbens shell prevents sex-dependent alcohol deprivation effect induced by inflammatory pain.
2021
ABSTRACT Pain-induced negative affect reduces life quality of patients by increasing psychiatric comorbidities, including alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Indeed, clinical data suggest pain as a risk factor to suffer AUDs, predicting relapse drinking in abstinent patients. Here, we analyse the impact of pain on alcohol relapse and the role of kappa opioid receptor (KOR) activation in mediating these pain-induced effects because KORs play an important role in pain-driven negative affect and AUD. Female and male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent 2 alcohol intermittent access periods separated by a forced abstinence period. The complete Freund adjuvant model of inflammatory pain was introduced during…