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Dopamine Affects the Change of Pain-Related Electrical Activity Induced by Morphine Dependence

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Abstract

Morphine is among the most effective analgesics. However, many evidences suggest that, besides the well-know analgesic activity, repeated opioids treatment can induce some side effects such as dependence, hyperalgesia and tolerance. The mechanism of noxious information transmission in the central nervous system after dependence is not clear. An important neurotransmitter, dopamine (DA) participates not only in the process of opioid dependence but also in pain modulation in the central nervous system. In the present study we observed changes of electrical activities of pain-excitation neurons (PENs) and pain-inhibition neurons (PINs) in the caudate nucleus (Cd) following the development of morphine dependence. We also observed the role of DA on these changes. Our results revealed that both the latency of PEN discharges and the inhibitory duration of PIN discharges decreased, and the net increased values of PEN and PIN discharges increased in the Cd of morphine dependent rats. Those demonstrated that electrical activities of both PENs and PINs increased in morphine dependent rats. DA inhibited the electrical activities of PENs and enhanced those of PINs in morphine dependent rats.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (20080440913) and Heilongjiang province Postdoctoral Science Foundation (20080306).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Harbin Medical University, Xuefu Road, No.194, Harbin, 150081, People’s Republic of China

    Ying Zhang, Hongbo Jin, Yongbin Yang & Manying Xu

  2. Department of Etiology, Harbin Medical University, Xuefu Road, No.194, Harbin, 150081, People’s Republic of China

    Fengmin Zhang

  3. Department of Neurology of 2nd Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081, People’s Republic of China

    Chunxiao Yang

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  1. Ying Zhang
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  2. Fengmin Zhang
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  3. Chunxiao Yang
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  4. Hongbo Jin
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  6. Manying Xu
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Correspondence to Manying Xu.

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Ying Zhang and Fengmin Zhang authors contributed equally to this work.

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Zhang, Y., Zhang, F., Yang, C. et al. Dopamine Affects the Change of Pain-Related Electrical Activity Induced by Morphine Dependence. Neurochem Res 37, 977–982 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-011-0690-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-011-0690-0

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