Naloxone does not alter amphetamine-induced rotational behavior or striatal dopamine levels of nigrally-lesioned rats

Previous studies on rats have shown that the opioid antagonist naloxone attenuates amphetamine-induced stimulation of locomotor activity and increases in extracellular dopamine in the brain. However, in this study, naloxone did not attenuate amphetamine-induced rotational behavior or increases of extracellular dopamine in the intact striatum of nigrally-lesioned rats. These results suggests differences in the way in which endogenous opioids contribute to the behavioral and neurochemical effects of amphetamine in nigrally-lesioned compared to intact rats.