Direct Evidence for the Involvement of the Mesolimbic kappa-Opioid System
in the Morphine-Induced Rewarding Effect Under an Inflammatory Pain-Like State
by
Narita M, Kishimoto Y, Ise Y, Yajima Y, Misawa K, Suzuki T.
1Department of Toxicology,
Hoshi University School of Pharmacy
and Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Neuropsychopharmacology. 2004 Jul 14

ABSTRACT

Recent clinical studies have demonstrated that when morphine is used to control pain in cancer patients, psychological dependence is not a major concern. The present study was undertaken to ascertain the modulation of psychological dependence on morphine under a chronic pain-like state in rats. The prototypical micro-opioid receptor agonist morphine (8 mg/kg, i.p.) induced a dose-dependent place preference. In the present study, we found that an inflammatory pain-like state following formalin injection significantly suppressed the morphine-induced rewarding effect. This effect was almost reversed by s.c. pretreatment with the kappa-opioid receptor antagonist nor-binaltorphimine (nor-BNI, 5 mg/kg). Furthermore, the morphine-induced increase in dopamine (DA) turnover in the limbic forebrain was significantly inhibited by treatment with formalin. This inhibition was also suppressed by pretreatment with nor-BNI. In addition, in vivo microdialysis studies clearly showed that the morphine-induced increase in the extracellular levels of DA and its metabolites, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid, in the nucleus accumbens (N.Acc.) was significantly decreased in rats that had been pretreated with formalin. This effect was in turn reversed by the microinjection of a specific dynorphin A antibody into the N.Acc. These findings suggest that the inflammatory pain-like state induced by formalin injection may have caused a sustained activation of the kappa-opioidergic system within the N.Acc., resulting in suppression of the morphine-induced rewarding effect in rats. The present study provides further evidence of the clinical usefulness of morphine in patients suffering from severe pain

Mu
Pain
Enadoline
Allodynia
Tolerance
Buprenorphine
Receptor subtypes
Nor-binaltorphimine
Fentanyl and ketamine
Kappa upregulation and addiction
kappa-Opioid withdrawal in Planaria
Kappa antagonists as future antidepressants?
Nalbuphine and anti-analgesia in men and women
Stress, dysphoria and the dynorphin kappa-opioid system
Indolomorphinan antagonists of the kappa-opioid receptor
The kappa receptor antagonist norbinaltorphimine as an antidepressant
JDTic: an antidepressant, anxiolytic kappa-selective opioid receptor antagonist

Refs
and further reading

HOME
HedWeb
Nootropics
cocaine.wiki
Future Opioids
BLTC Research
MDMA/Ecstasy
Superhapiness?
Utopian Surgery?
The Abolitionist Project
The Hedonistic Imperative
The Reproductive Revolution
Critique of Huxley's Brave New World

The Good Drug Guide
The Responsible Parent's Guide
To Healthy Mood Boosters For All The Family