Depression by morphine and levorphanol of activity in sympathetic nerve fibres in anaesthetized rats

In urethane-anesthetized rats, the effects of intravenous injections of morphine, levorphanol, dextrorphan, pentazocine and naloxone were studied studied on the activity in nerve fibres of the cervical sympathetic trunk, and on mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate. Impulse frequency in sympathetic nerve fibres was recorded with tungsten microelectrodes and proved to be more sensitive to drug action than blood pressure or heart rate. Morphine 1 and 2 mg/kg dose dependently reduced sympathetic impulse frequency, blood pressure and heart rate; morphine 0.5 mg/kg was ineffective. Levorphanol 1 and 2 mg/kg dose dependently reduced sympathetic impulse frequency and blood pressure but did not affect heart rate. Dextrorphan (the dextro-isomer of levorphanol) 2 and 4 mg/kg had no effect on the parameters tested. Pentazocine 3 and 6 mg/kg did not cause a consistent change in sympathetic impulse frequency, blood pressure and heart rate. Naloxone 0.2 mg/kg abolished the depressant effects of morphine and levorphanol and, when given alone, increased sympathetic impulse frequency. Naloxone 1 mg/kg increased blood pressure but did not affect heart rate. It is concluded that morphine can reduce blood pressure and heart rate by causing opiate-specific central sympathetic depression.