Inhibition of noradrenaline release from cerebrocortical synaptosomes and stimulation of synaptosomal Na+,K(+)-ATPase activity by morphine in rats.

The effects of morphine on noradrenaline (NA) release from rat cerebrocortical synaptosomes and on the synaptosomal Na+,K(+)-ATPase activity were determined. Morphine (10(-3)-10(-5) M) caused a dose-related inhibition of enhanced prelabelled [3H]NA release evoked by a high concentration of K+ from synaptosomes and this inhibitory action of morphine was antagonized by the specific antagonist naloxone (10(-4), 10(-5) M). Morphine dose-dependently stimulated the synaptosomal Na+,K(+)-ATPase activity but not Ca2(+)-ATPase activity in the incubation medium containing 2.2 x 10(-6)-4.7 x 10(-7) M free Ca2+, and this stimulatory effect was antagonized by naloxone. These results suggest that morphine may have some role in the suppression of membrane depolarization and/or the release of NA through its stimulatory action on the Na+,K(+)-ATPase activity in rat cerebral cortex.