Role of cholinergic and GABAergic neurotransmission in the opioids-mediated GnRH release mechanism of EBP-primed OVX rats

The effect of intracerebroventricular administration of mu -opioid agonist, morphine (a drug of potential abuse), and its antagonist, naloxone, followed by morphine was studied on the metabolism of acetylcholine and gamma amino butyric acid in seven discrete regions of brain from EBP-primed ovariectomized rats. We also assayed serum luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone after morphine and naloxone + morphine treatments. Cholineacetyltransferase and acetylcholinesterase, gamma-aminobutyric acid transaminase, succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase and glutamate dehydrogenase activities were found to decrease significantly in hypothalamic as well as other brain regions studied. Naloxone given prior to morphine injection was seen to reverse the effect of morphine on enzymes activities. Our study provides evidence that opioidergic modulation of GnRH release is mediated through cholinergic and GABAergic neurotransmission besides monoaminergic control and the results may further help to elucidate the basis of neuronal dysfunction in opiate addicts.