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Chronic treatment with pentazocine or SFK 10047 decrease proenkephalin mRNA levels in the rat striatum and nucleus
J A Angulo1, M Ledoux, B S McEwen
1Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021.
Neuroscience Letters
|January 14, 1991
Summary
Sigma receptor activity tonically affects proenkephalin messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in rat brain regions. Chronic treatment with sigma receptor agonists SKF 10047 and pentazocine decreased proenkephalin mRNA in the striatum and nucleus accumbens.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Enkephalinergic cells in the striatum and limbic system are crucial for reward and motor control.
- Sigma receptors are implicated in various neurological processes, but their precise role in regulating enkephalin expression is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of sigma receptor activation on proenkephalin mRNA levels in specific rat brain regions.
- To determine if sigma receptor agonists exert tonic control over enkephalinergic systems.
Main Methods:
- In situ hybridization histochemistry was used to quantify proenkephalin mRNA expression.
- Rats were chronically treated with sigma receptor agonist drugs: SKF 10047 and pentazocine.
Main Results:
- SKF 10047 treatment led to a 20-22% decrease in proenkephalin mRNA in the anterior caudate-putamen (CPU) and nucleus accumbens.
- Pentazocine treatment resulted in a 20-25% decrease in proenkephalin mRNA across all three measured brain regions (anterior CPU, medial CPU, and nucleus accumbens).
- No significant effect of SKF 10047 was observed in the medial aspect of the CPU.
Conclusions:
- Sigma receptor activity exerts tonic inhibitory effects on proenkephalin mRNA expression in the rat striatum and nucleus accumbens.
- These findings highlight the role of sigma receptors in modulating the enkephalinergic system, with potential implications for neurological disorders.