You have full text access to this OnlineOpen article

Increased response to morphine in mice lacking protein kinase C epsilon

  1. P. M. Newton1,
  2. J. A. Kim1,
  3. A. J. McGeehan1,
  4. J. P. Paredes1,
  5. K. Chu2,
  6. M. J. Wallace1,
  7. A. J. Roberts2,
  8. C. W. Hodge3,
  9. R. O. Messing1,*

Article first published online: 7 AUG 2006

DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-183X.2006.00261.x

Issue

Genes, Brain and Behavior

Genes, Brain and Behavior

Volume 6, Issue 4, pages 329–338, June 2007

Additional Information

How to Cite

Newton, P. M., Kim, J. A., McGeehan, A. J., Paredes, J. P., Chu, K., Wallace, M. J., Roberts, A. J., Hodge, C. W. and Messing, R. O. (2007), Increased response to morphine in mice lacking protein kinase C epsilon. Genes, Brain and Behavior, 6: 329–338. doi: 10.1111/j.1601-183X.2006.00261.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, Emeryville, CA

  2. 2

    Molecular and Integrative Neurosciences Department, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA

  3. 3

    Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

* *R. O. Messing, Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center, 5858 Horton Street, Suite 200, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA. E-mail: romes@itsa.ucsf.edu

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 7 AUG 2006
  2. Article first published online: 7 AUG 2006
  3. Received 22 February 2006, revised 5 June 2006, accepted for publication 8 June 2006

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (308K)

Keywords:

  • Analgesia;
  • opioid;
  • PKC;
  • place preference;
  • self-administration

The protein kinase C (PKC) family of serine–threonine kinases has been implicated in behavioral responses to opiates, but little is known about the individual PKC isozymes involved. Here, we show that mice lacking PKCɛ have increased sensitivity to the rewarding effects of morphine, revealed as the expression of place preference and intravenous self-administration at very low doses of morphine that do not evoke place preference or self-administration in wild-type mice. The PKCɛ null mice also show prolonged maintenance of morphine place preference in response to repeated testing when compared with wild-type mice. The supraspinal analgesic effects of morphine are enhanced in PKCɛ null mice, and the development of tolerance to the spinal analgesic effects of morphine is delayed. The density of μ-opioid receptors and their coupling to G-proteins are normal. These studies identify PKCɛ as a key regulator of opiate sensitivity in mice.

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (308K)