Morphine and naloxone effects on tonic immobility and the dorsal immobility response in the rat.

Adult male Wistar rats treated with morphine sulfate (0.5, 5.0, and 10.0 mg/kg, SC) showed a dose-dependent potentiation of tonic immobility (TI) and dorsal immobility response (DIR) durations. Naloxone (4.0 mg/kg, SC) did not affect the DIR durations but reversed the potentiated morphine effects on both TI and DIR. These results suggest that although opiate receptors may be involved, mu-opiate receptor function is not essential for modulating various complex immobility responses.