Rat brain PCP receptors: alterations in binding parameters following chronic administration of opiate agonists and...

Phencyclidine (PCP) is a widely abused drug of the arylcyclohexylamine class which is capable of producing symptoms of acute psychosis in man. PCP interacts with a specific CNS receptor, for which a putative endogenous peptide ligand has been identified. We have investigated whether PCP receptor binding parameters are modulated by activity in central opiate pathways. We have found that chronic administration of both an opiate agonist (etonitazene) and an opiate antagonist (naloxone) are able to decrease the affinity of the PCP receptor for TCP, a thienyl derivative of PCP. Furthermore, naloxone, but not etonitazene, resulted in a significant increase in the Bmax of TCP binding to the PCP receptor. These results suggest that neural activity mediated by CNS opioids systems is capable of affecting the binding parameters of the PCP receptor.