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Dopamine Involved in the Nociceptive Modulation in the Parafascicular Nucleus of Morphine-Dependent Rat

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Abstract

Dopamine regulates pain perception in some areas of the central nervous system. Previously, we have confirmed that dopamine potentiated the electric activities of the evoked discharges of pain-excited neurons (PENs) and inhibited those of pain-inhibited neurons (PINs) in the parafascicular nucleus (Pfn) of normal rats. The mechanism of action of dopamine on pain-related neurons in the Pfn of morphine-dependent rat is still unknown. The present study aimed to determine the effects of dopamine and its receptor antagonist droperidol on the pain-evoked responses of the PEN and PIN in the Pfn of morphine-dependent rats, and to compare the effects between the morphine-dependent rat and the normal rat. The trains of electric impulses applied to the sciatic nerve were used as noxious stimulation. The discharges of PEN or PIN in the Pfn were recorded by using a glass microelectrode. The results showed that intra-Pfn microinjection of dopamine decreased the frequency of noxious stimulation-induced discharges of PEN and increased the frequency of PIN. The intra-Pfn administration of droperidol produced an opposite effect. These results demonstrated that dopamine is involved in nociceptive modulation in the morphine-dependent rat, the responses to noxious stimulation between normal rat and morphine-dependent rat are completely opposite. The effect of dopamine is through the dopamine D2 receptor of PENs and PINs in Pfn. The results suggest that the dopamine system of the Pfn may become a therapeutic target for analgesia and the treatment of morphine dependence.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30240058), the Science & Technology Agency in Heilongjiang of China (No.GC05C40607), the Natural Science Foundation in Heilongjiang of China (No. D200936) and the Science Foundation of Health Department in Heilongjiang of China (No. 2007-525).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Laboratory of Neural Electrophysiology, Harbin Medical University, 150081 Harbin, Heilongjiang, People’s Republic of China

    H. R. Gao, D. Zhang, R. S. Jiao, Y. Zhang, M. Y. Xu & H. Zhu

  2. Department of Surgery, Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, 150081 Harbin, Heilongjiang, People’s Republic of China

    T. F. Shi & C. X. Yang

  3. The Third Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, 150081 Harbin, Heilongjiang, People’s Republic of China

    G. W. Zhang

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  1. H. R. Gao
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  4. G. W. Zhang
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Correspondence to M. Y. Xu or H. Zhu.

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H.R. Gao, T.F. Shi and C.X. Yang contributed equally to this work.

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Gao, H.R., Shi, T.F., Yang, C.X. et al. Dopamine Involved in the Nociceptive Modulation in the Parafascicular Nucleus of Morphine-Dependent Rat. Neurochem Res 37, 428–435 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-011-0629-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-011-0629-5

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