Morphine withdrawal-induced abnormalities in the VTA: confocal laser scanning microscopy |
| |
Authors: | Spiga Saturnino Serra Giuliana P Puddu M Cristina Foddai Marzia Diana Marco |
| |
Affiliation: | Department of Animal Biology and Ecology, University of Cagliari, Italy. |
| |
Abstract: | Morphine withdrawal is characterized by functional alterations at the level of the ventrotegmental area. We investigated the effects of chronic morphine administration and withdrawal on the morphological properties of immuno-labelled tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons of the rat ventrotegmental area with a confocal laser scanning microscope. Morphological evaluation revealed a reduction in the area and perimeter of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive somata in morphine-withdrawn rats. Conversely, the number of cells per field was found to have increased in the naloxone group. Collectively, the present results indicate that withdrawal from a chronic morphine treatment, and not chronic morphine per se, modifies cellular morphology of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive, presumably dopamine-containing, neurons of the rat VTA. This is consistent with the idea that withdrawal from morphine alters functioning of the mesolimbic dopamine system and provides a direct morphological correlate for the functional abnormalities typical of morphine withdrawal. |
| |
Keywords: | addiction confocal microscope DA neurons mesolimbic system morphine neural plasticity opiate dependence VTA withdrawal |
本文献已被 PubMed 等数据库收录! |
|