EFFECT OF MORPHINE ON THE ACCUMULATION OF DOPA AFTER DECARBOXYLASE INHIBITION IN THE RAT

Acute systemic administration of morphine (10 mg/kg s.c.) to rats increased in vivo tyrosine hydroxylation in the striatum measured as the accumulation of DOPA after decarboxylase inhibition. DOPA accumulation reached a maximum 30-60 min after morphine. The morphine antagonist naloxone (1, 10 or 100 mg/kg s.c.) did not significantly alter DOPA accumulation. However, naloxone completely antagonized the effect of morphine. The DA agonist apomorphine decreased and the DA antagonist haloperidol increased DOPA accumulation. The effect of apomorphine (0.05 mg/kg) was counteracted by morphine. Naloxone did not significantly change the accumulation of DOPA after apomorphine or after haloperidol. In rats treated with γ-butyrolactone (GBL) or with reserpine DOPA accumulation was not altered by treatment with morphine or naloxone. However, the inhibiting effect of apomorphine (0.5 mg/kg) on the accumulation of DOPA in rats treated with reserpine was weakly counteracted by morphine (10 mg/kg s.c.). Since the effects of morphine on the apomorphine-induced inhibition of DOPA accumulation were antagonized by naloxone, we suggest that the effects on striatal DOPA accumulation produced by morphine were mediated via opioid receptors and not directly via DA receptors. © 1979.