Acute effects of morphine on the expression of mRNAs for NMDA receptor subunits in the rat hippocampus, hypothalamus and spinal cord.

摘要

The acute effects of subcutaneously injected morphine on transcripts of the NMDA receptor subunits NR1, NR2A and NR2B in certain areas of the central nervous system of male rats were examined by Northern blot analysis. The result clearly indicated that a single dose (10 mg/kg) of the opioid alters the expression of the mRNA for receptor subunits in the hippocampus and hypothalamus 4 h after drug injection. No change in the mRNA levels was observed 30 min following injection, and after 24 h most of the levels were restored to control values. The observation suggests that morphine affects this type of glutamate receptor already in the acute phase of its administration.