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Abstract
The effect of the selective mu-opioid receptor agonist Tyr-Pro-N-MePhe-D-NH2 (PL-017)
on tonic activity and temperature sensitivity of neurons in the preoptic area/anterior
hypothalamus (PO/AH) has been examined in rat brain slices using extracellular recordings.
The tonic activity of both warm-sensitive and temperature-insensitive neurons was
inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by superfusion with the mu-agonist (0.5-100 nM).
The temperature sensitivity was selectively decreased in warm-sensitive neurons in
concentrations up to 10 nM. Only in the high concentration of 100 nM did the mu-agonist
reduce the temperature coefficient of both types of neurons. Pretreatment with equimolar
concentrations of the mu-antagonist D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Orn-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH2 (CTOP)
prevented the effects of the mu-agonist (0.5-10 nM) on tonic activity as well as temperature
sensitivity. The results suggest that a specific change of the temperature sensitivity
of PO/AH neurons is involved in the hyperthermia induced by mu-agonists in rats.