Involvement of the ventral tegmental area opiate receptors in self-stimulation elicited from the ventral pallidum

Enkephalinergic and dopaminergic mechanisms have been implicated in the electrical self-stimulation (SS) behavior. The present set of experiments investigated the role of opioid receptors within DA-innervated brain regions (nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area) in the ventral pallidum self-stimulation (VP-SS). Forty-one rats used in this study were implanted with a monopolar moveable stimulating electrode in the VP. A rate-frequency curve-shift method was applied to determine the reward (threshold) and motor functions (asymptotic rate) of self stimulation elicited from the VP. One group received systemic treatment of graded doses (vehicle; 1.25; 2.50 mg/kg) of morphine injected IP, 60 min before behavioural testing. The results showed a tendency for increased threshold of VP-SS and of the asymptotic rate of responding. Three additional groups were implanted with guide cannulae in the nucleus accumbens (NAC), the ventral tegmental area (VTA) or dorsally to the VTA and received microinjections of morphine (vehicle: 1.25; 2.50; 5.0; 10.0 microg/0.5 microl per side). Central injections of morphine higher than 1.25 microg/side into the VTA were associated with a significant reduction in VP-SS thresholds, indicating a potentiative effect on reward. Microinjections of morphine either into the NAC or into the dorsal tegmentum did not produce significant alterations on thresholds or responding of VP-SS. In order to investigate the extent to which the VTA-NAC dopamine projection was involved in the SS behavior elicited from the ventral pallidum, we tested SS in animals that suffered NAC 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions. Rats suffering NAC dopamine depletion along with their corresponding controls showed similar levels of thresholds and responding to the ones exhibited prior to the lesion, revealing that NAC dopamine is not necessary to maintain VP-SS. The results suggest that stimulation of opioid receptor in the VTA increases the rewarding efficacy of VP-SS. This effect might be due to the modulation of VTA-DA neurons projecting to the VP rather than to the NAC.