Effects of prior exposure to morphine on the opioid inhibition of the stimulated release of [3H]norepinephrine from guinea pig cortex slices.

The potassium stimulated release of [3H]norepinephrine ([3H]NE) from terminal fields of locus coeruleus projections can be inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by mu and kappa selective opioids. Chronic exposure to morphine for six days decreases the maximum achievable depression by the mu selective agonist Tyr-D-Ala2-Gly-Me(Phe)-Gly-ol (DAGO), but has no effect on the degree of inhibition produced by the kappa selective opioid U50,488H.