Abstract
Effects of the opioid agonists morphine, l-methadone, ethylketazocine, U50,488 [trans-3,4-dichloro-N-methyl-N-[2-(1-pyrrolidinyl) cyclohexyl]benzeneacetamide methanesulfonate hydrate], cyclazocine and bremazocine, and the nonopioid chlorpromazine were determined in pigeons responding under a fixed-ratio 30 schedule of food presentation before, during and after chronic morphine administration. Before chronic morphine administration, all drugs produced dose-dependent decreases in response rates. After daily administration of up to 56 mg/kg of morphine for 7 weeks, dose-effect curves for the mu agonists morphine and l-methadone, as well as the mu/kappa agonist ethylketazocine shifted to the right approximately 1 1/4, 3/4 and 1/2 log units, respectively. In contrast, dose-effect curves for the mixed agonist/antagonists cyclazocine and bremazocine each shifted to the left approximately 3/4 log unit, whereas dose-effect curves for the kappa agonist U50,488 and the nonopioid chlorpromazine did not shift during chronic morphine administration. Dose-effect curves for all drugs except bremazocine returned to their prechronic positions within the period 3 to 8 weeks after termination of chronic morphine administration. The present study demonstrates that repeated administration of morphine produces tolerance to its rate-decreasing effects as well as cross-tolerance selective to other opioids possessing mu agonist properties. The cross-tolerance to ethylketazocine observed in morphine-tolerant pigeons corroborates studies of the discriminative stimulus effects of ethylketazocine in pigeons, suggesting that in this species ethylketazocine possesses predominantly mu agonist properties.
JPET articles become freely available 12 months after publication, and remain freely available for 5 years.Non-open access articles that fall outside this five year window are available only to institutional subscribers and current ASPET members, or through the article purchase feature at the bottom of the page.
|