Morphine dependence and dopaminergic activity: tests of circling responses in rats with unilateral nigral lesions

1 Rats with unilateral electrolytic lesions involving both parts of the substantia nigra show dose-related, ipsilateral circling responses to apomorphine which are stable over time. 2 In non-tolerant rats, morphine (up to 10 mg/kg) does not elicit any circling behaviour but as tolerance develops to morphine, initially 10 mg/kg daily and then 100 ng/kg daily for about 4 months, the rats show a progressive tendency to walk more towards the side of the lesion. This behaviour is qualitatively different from apomorphine-induced circling. 3 When apomorphine (0 to 1.0 mg/kg) and morphine (10 or 100 mg/kg) are tested together, the total amounts of 'circling' are increased in an additive manner. However, after 22 h withdrawal from morphine there is a more marked increase in apomorphine-induced circling which is related to the level of dependence. 4 It is suggested that the sensitivity of striatal dopamine receptors is not altered by morphine dependence and that the increased response to apomorphine in abstinence probably reflects changes in the modulating actions of other neurotransmitter systems in the striatum.