Opiate effects on isolation stress in domestic fowl

In an attempt to examine the role of opioid system functioning in social attachment and isolation stress in young domestic fowl, the effects of morphine (5.0 mg/kg) and naloxone (5.0 mg/kg) were evaluated on distress vocalizations, thermal nociception, thermoregulation, and respiration following 15 min of isolation in 7-day-old White-Leghorn cockerels. Morphine decreased and naloxone increased distress vocalizations in isolated chicks. Isolation produced an increase in jump response latencies (i.e., hypoalgesia) on a standard hot-plate test. In general, morphine decreased and naloxone increased mean jump latencies in both isolated and nonisolated chicks. Isolation produced an increase in core body temperature (i.e., hyperthermia); morphine decreased and naloxone increased core body temperatures independent of the isolation manipulation. Social isolation did not affect respiration. However, morphine depressed respiration in both isolated and nonisolated chicks. These results support the notion that opioid systems modulate social attachment and isolation stress.