Chronic cocaine produces decreases in N/OFQ peptide levels in select rat brain regions

The interaction of opioids and stimulants is well established; however, the mechanisms that underlie the role that opioid receptors play in psychostimulant action are not. Nociceptin/orphaninFQ (N/OFQ), the endogenous agonist at NOP receptors, attenuates the behavioral effects of cocaine. The effect...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of molecular neuroscience 2007-01, Vol.31 (2), p.159-164
Main Authors: Romualdi, Patrizia, Di Benedetto, Manuela, D'Addario, Claudio, Collins, Stephanie L, Wade, Dean, Candeletti, Sanzio, Izenwasser, Sari
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Caudate Nucleus - drug effects
Caudate Nucleus - metabolism
Central Nervous System Stimulants - administration & dosage
Central Nervous System Stimulants - pharmacology
Cocaine
Cocaine - administration & dosage
Cocaine - pharmacology
Neurology
Nociceptin
Nucleus Accumbens - drug effects
Nucleus Accumbens - metabolism
Opioid Peptides - metabolism
Putamen - drug effects
Putamen - metabolism
Radioimmunoassay
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Rodents
Substantia Nigra - drug effects
Substantia Nigra - metabolism
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Summary:The interaction of opioids and stimulants is well established; however, the mechanisms that underlie the role that opioid receptors play in psychostimulant action are not. Nociceptin/orphaninFQ (N/OFQ), the endogenous agonist at NOP receptors, attenuates the behavioral effects of cocaine. The effects of cocaine on N/OFQ were examined in rats using immunoautoradiographic and RIA techniques. Chronic administration of cocaine decreased N/OFQ in medial regions of the caudate putamen, the nucleus accumbens shell, and the substantia nigra. These studies show that N/OFQ levels are altered by treatment with cocaine. Furthermore, the changes in N/OFQ parallel those seen for kappa-opioid receptors, suggesting that the interactions between cocaine and these systems might be similar.
ISSN:0895-8696
1559-1166
DOI:10.1385/JMN/31:02:159