Rhes (Ras homolog enriched in striatum) has been identified as a novel monomeric G-protein involved in dopaminergic and other signaling in the striatum. Given the many effects of opioids that involve striatal circuitry, genetically engineered mice that are incapable of making Rhes (rhes-/-) and their control littermates (rhes+/+) were subjected to behavioral tests to determine if any differences existed in opioid analgesia, tolerance, withdrawal, reward, and locomotion. Rhes-/- mice showed an increased opioid mediated analgesia, along with an absence of tolerance and decrease in withdrawal when compared with rhes+/+ littermates. However, no significant changes were seen in opioid induced locomotor activation or conditioned place preference. These results provide strong evidence for the implication of Rhes in opioid signaling.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uno.edu/oai:scholarworks.uno.edu:td-2237 |
| Date | 17 December 2010 |
| Creators | Lee, Franklin |
| Publisher | ScholarWorks@UNO |
| Source Sets | University of New Orleans |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations |
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