Chronic cocaine produces decreases in N/OFQ peptide levels in select rat brain regions

• Published in: Journal of molecular neuroscience Vol. 31; no. 2; pp. 159 - 164
• Main Authors: Romualdi, Patrizia, Di Benedetto, Manuela, D'Addario, Claudio, Collins, Stephanie L., Wade, Dean, Candeletti, Sanzio, Izenwasser, Sari
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Springer Nature B.V 01.01.2007
• Subjects: Animals; Caudate Nucleus - drug effects; Caudate Nucleus - metabolism; Central Nervous System Stimulants - administration & dosage; Central Nervous System Stimulants - pharmacology; Cocaine; Cocaine - administration & dosage; Cocaine - pharmacology; Neurology; Nociceptin; Nucleus Accumbens - drug effects; Nucleus Accumbens - metabolism; Opioid Peptides - metabolism; Putamen - drug effects; Putamen - metabolism; Radioimmunoassay; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Rodents; Substantia Nigra - drug effects; Substantia Nigra - metabolism
• ISSN: 0895-8696; 1559-1166
• DOI: 10.1385/JMN/31:02:159

The interaction of opioids and stimulants is well established; however, the mechanisms that underlie the role that opioid receptors play in psychostimulant action are not. Nociceptin/orphaninFQ (N/OFQ), the endogenous agonist at NOP receptors, attenuates the behavioral effects of cocaine. The effects of cocaine on N/OFQ were examined in rats using immunoautoradiographic and RIA techniques. Chronic administration of cocaine decreased N/OFQ in medial regions of the caudate putamen, the nucleus accumbens shell, and the substantia nigra. These studies show that N/OFQ levels are altered by treatment with cocaine. Furthermore, the changes in N/OFQ parallel those seen for kappa-opioid receptors, suggesting that the interactions between cocaine and these systems might be similar.