Morphine-induced Straub tail reaction and spinal catecholamine metabolite content: Antagonism of naloxone to morphine-induced effects in mice.

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Abstract
The effects of morphine on the 3-methoxytyramine (3-MT) and normetanephrine (NM) level of various brain sites and 2 parts of spinal cord were investigated in mice with reference to prior data on the effects of catecholaminergic agents on the morphine-induced Straub tail reaction (STR). Morphine (10 mg/kg) increased the 3-MT and NM content in the thoracic and lumbar regions of the spinal cord significantly, without affecting the 3-MT or NM content of the various brain sites. Noloxone (1 mg/kg) antagonized the morphine-induced increase in the 3-MT and NM in the thoracic and lumbar cord. These results suggest that morphine accelerates the release of spinal dopamine and norepinephrine. The morphine-induced STR might be due to the acceleration of catecholaminergic neuronal activities in the spinal cord in mice.