Abstract
The neurochemical system(s) underlying brain stimulation reward (ICSS) has been investigated for many years. The catecholamine hypothesis is currently most accepted with predominant emphasis on the role of dopamine. The present report examines the role of three opioid peptides—Methionine and Leucine Enkephalin (ME and LE) and β-Endorphin (β-E) in this behavior. Peptide levels from piutitary, hypothalamus and whole brain were determined by independent RIAs and analyzed according to treatment: low, moderate and high ICSS responders, sham controls, animals receiving nonspecific stimulation, and naloxone—with and without ICSS. Not only did naloxone reduce ICSS from high responders by 74%, it also was able to reduce peptide levels—most notably for ME and βE in most regions. Additionally, the effects of ICSS on endorphin levels was found to be related to the rate category of responding. Since endorphins are known to interact with dopamine systems, it is therefore considered likely that the endogenous opioid peptides play an important role in ICSS either directly or indirectly via their influence on catecholamine systems.
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