The effects of acute and chronic morphine treatment and of morphine withdrawal on rat brain in vivo. 1972

A L Miller, and R A Hawkins, and R L Harris, and R L Veech

1. The effects of morphine, nalorphine, acetazolamide, and 10% CO(2) on brain metabolite concentrations of 24h-starved rats were studied. 2. A single dose of morphine (20mg/kg body wt.) caused an increase in brain glucose concentration (42%) and decreased concentrations of lactate (24%), pyruvate (29%), citrate (20%), alpha-oxoglutarate (16%), malate (14%) and creatine phosphate (10%) after 30min. No changes were found in adenine nucleotide concentrations. 3. The same dose of morphine increased arterial CO(2) from 5.07 to 7.60 kN/m(2) (38 to 57 Torr), decreased the pH from 7.41 to 7.31 and decreased O(2) from 14.1 to 10.8kN/m(2) (106 to 81 Torr) at 30min. 4. Rats injected with morphine three times daily (20mg/kg body wt.) for 2 weeks had no changes in brain metabolite concentrations or in blood gases 30min after their last injection. 5. Nalorphine (an antagonist of morphine) caused essentially no changes in brain metabolite concentrations in normal rats. When nalorphine (20mg/kg) was administered to rats previously treated with morphine three times daily for 2 weeks, there was an increase in brain glucose (100%), lactate (23%), pyruvate (18%) and citrate (10%) concentrations. 6. Acetazolamide (an inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase) and 10% CO(2) increased the arterial CO(2) from 4.79 to 6.78kN/m(2) (36 to 51 Torr) and from 5.32 to 10.8kN/m(2) (40 to 81 Torr) respectively. 7. Both acetazolamide and 10% CO(2) caused changes in brain metabolite concentrations similar to those for acutely administered morphine. Thus 10% CO(2) caused increased brain glucose concentration (123%) and decreased brain lactate (46%), pyruvate (34%), citrate (26%), alpha-oxoglutarate (33%), malate (45%) and creatine phosphate (7%) concentrations. No changes in adenine nucleotide concentrations were found. 8. The results indicate that the effect of morphine on brain metabolite concentrations may be accounted for by the increased [CO(2)]. 9. These findings constitute a consistent pattern of metabolic changes after acute morphine administration, morphine addiction, and withdrawal from morphine addiction.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007773 Lactates Salts or esters of LACTIC ACID containing the general formula CH3CHOHCOOR.
D008293 Malates Derivatives of malic acid (the structural formula: (COO-)2CH2CHOH), including its salts and esters.
D008297 Male Males
D009020 Morphine The principal alkaloid in opium and the prototype opiate analgesic and narcotic. Morphine has widespread effects in the central nervous system and on smooth muscle. Morphine Sulfate,Duramorph,MS Contin,Morphia,Morphine Chloride,Morphine Sulfate (2:1), Anhydrous,Morphine Sulfate (2:1), Pentahydrate,Oramorph SR,SDZ 202-250,SDZ202-250,Chloride, Morphine,Contin, MS,SDZ 202 250,SDZ 202250,SDZ202 250,SDZ202250,Sulfate, Morphine
D009021 Morphine Dependence Strong dependence, both physiological and emotional, upon morphine. Morphine Abuse,Morphine Addiction,Abuse, Morphine,Addiction, Morphine,Dependence, Morphine
D009269 Nalorphine A narcotic antagonist with some agonist properties. It is an antagonist at mu opioid receptors and an agonist at kappa opioid receptors. Given alone it produces a broad spectrum of unpleasant effects and it is considered to be clinically obsolete. Allylnormorphine,Lethidrone,Nalorphine Hydrobromide,Nalorphine Hydrochloride,Nalorphine, (14 alpha)-Isomer,Nalorphine, L-tartrate (1:1),Hydrobromide, Nalorphine,Hydrochloride, Nalorphine
D010725 Phosphocreatine An endogenous substance found mainly in skeletal muscle of vertebrates. It has been tried in the treatment of cardiac disorders and has been added to cardioplegic solutions. (Reynolds JEF(Ed): Martindale: The Extra Pharmacopoeia (electronic version). Micromedex, Inc, Englewood, CO, 1996) Creatine Phosphate,Neoton,Phosphocreatine, Disodium Salt,Phosphorylcreatine,Disodium Salt Phosphocreatine,Phosphate, Creatine
D011773 Pyruvates Derivatives of PYRUVIC ACID, including its salts and esters.
D001921 Brain The part of CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that is contained within the skull (CRANIUM). Arising from the NEURAL TUBE, the embryonic brain is comprised of three major parts including PROSENCEPHALON (the forebrain); MESENCEPHALON (the midbrain); and RHOMBENCEPHALON (the hindbrain). The developed brain consists of CEREBRUM; CEREBELLUM; and other structures in the BRAIN STEM. Encephalon
D002245 Carbon Dioxide A colorless, odorless gas that can be formed by the body and is necessary for the respiration cycle of plants and animals. Carbonic Anhydride,Anhydride, Carbonic,Dioxide, Carbon

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