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Persistent increases in basal cerebral metabolic activity induced by morphine sensitization
M A Kraus1, J M Piper, C Kornetsky
1Department of Pharmacology, Boston University School of Medicine, MA 02118, USA.
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
|May 1, 1997
Summary
Morphine sensitization alters brain glucose metabolism for days, affecting areas like the nucleus accumbens. Conditioned cues further modify this brain activity, potentially modeling opiate craving.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuropharmacology
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Morphine sensitization is a key phenomenon in opioid addiction.
- Understanding its neuroanatomic basis is crucial for developing effective treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neuroanatomic changes in brain glucose metabolism associated with morphine sensitization.
- To differentiate between general pharmacological effects and cue-induced changes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the 2-deoxy-D-[1-14C]glucose method to measure local cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (LCMRglu).
- Examined 95 brain regions in male F-344 rats under basal and cue-associated conditions.
- Assessed the impact of prior sensitization on acute morphine challenge response.
Main Results:
- Morphine sensitization led to sustained increases in basal metabolic activity in specific brain regions for at least 6 days.
- Conditioned cues amplified metabolic changes, particularly in the nucleus accumbens core and caudate.
- Regions like the nucleus accumbens shell and prefrontal cortex showed lasting metabolic alterations.
- Prior sensitization modulated the brain's response to subsequent acute morphine challenges.
Conclusions:
- Morphine sensitization induces lasting changes in basal brain metabolic activity.
- Conditioned cues play a significant role in modulating these metabolic alterations.
- These findings suggest a potential animal model for craving in abstinent opioid users.