ACTH-induced grooming involves high-affinity opiate receptors

Abstract

Naloxazone, an irreversible inhibitor of high-affinity opiate receptors was used to test whether excessive grooming in mice following intracerebroventricular ACTH involves interaction with high-affinity opiate receptors. ACTH-induced grooming was blocked 16 hr following naloxazone but not naloxone. At this time morphine-induced antinociception measured in the tail-immersion test was present in naloxone-, but not naloxazone-, treated mice. The deficit caused by naloxazone was not permanent, and 4 days later, ACTH again elicited excessive grooming. These results together with other published data suggest that ACTH induces excessive grooming by interaction with high-affinity cerebral opiate receptors.