Intravenous morphine increases glucose utilization in the shell of the rat nucleus accumbens

The [14C]2-deoxyglucose method was applied to measure the effects of the acute intravenous administration of morphine sulphate (0.2-0.4 mg/kg) on cerebral glucose utilization in rats. Morphine produced dose-dependent increases of glucose metabolism in the shell of the nucleus accumbens, without affecting functional activity in any other brain area. These results provide further evidence for the preferential effects of intravenously abused substances in the shell of the nucleus accumbens.