Congenital vasopressin deficiency and acute and chronic opiate effects on hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis activity in Brattleboro rats

The Journal of Endocrinology
Agnes DomokosDora Zelena

Abstract

A growing body of evidence suggests that vasopressinergic activity in the hypothalamus is important in stress-related behaviors (like drug abuse) in line with a role in the regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). We hypothesized that in the naturally vasopressin-deficient Brattleboro rat, acute and chronic morphine treatment may lead to reduced HPA axis activity. Rats were treated either with a single dose of morphine (10 mg/kg subcutaneously) and serial blood samples were taken or were treated twice daily with increasing doses of morphine (10-100 mg/kg subcutaneously) for 16 days and animals were killed by decapitation 4 or 16 h after the last injection. Single morphine injection induced a biphasic ACTH and corticosterone elevation with smaller increases in vasopressin-deficient rats. Chronic morphine treatment induced the typical somatic and HPA axis changes of chronic stress; the absence of vasopressin did not prevent these changes. In rats repeatedly treated with morphine plasma, ACTH and corticosterone levels were elevated both 4 and 16 h after the last injection (short and long withdrawal) and the absence of vasopressin attenuated this response. Our data suggest that vasopressin plays a prominent role ...Continue Reading

Citations

Apr 25, 2012·Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology·Gábor B MakaraDóra Zelena
Aug 15, 2013·The Journal of Endocrinology·Anna FodorDóra Zelena
Oct 2, 2009·Peptides·Richard J Bodnar
Dec 9, 2008·International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the International Society for Developmental Neuroscience·Dóra ZelenaGábor B Makara
Dec 15, 2010·European Journal of Pharmacology·Barbara KlauszDóra Zelena
Sep 11, 2010·Stress : the International Journal on the Biology of Stress·Ja RoperSj Lolait
Oct 18, 2012·Physiological Reviews·Taka-aki KoshimizuAkito Tanoue

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