Effect of drugs with addicting properties on brain catecholamines.

The effect of morphine and amobarbital on catecholamine metabolism in different regions of the rat brain (cortex, hippocampus, striatum, hypothalamus and midbrain) was studied. The investigation showed that drugs of different chemical structures but with common addicting properties evoke the same type of changes in catecholamine metabolism which are expressed by an intensification of release and disintegration of norepinephrine and by a decrease in dopamine level.