Abstract

The objective of this project is to delineate the mechanisms of opiate involvement in parasitized animals and to understand the relationship between this opiate activation and behavioral abnormalities. White mice infected with the intestinal tract helminths Trichuris muris, Toxocaris canis and Schistosomatium douthitti will be examine din regard to opioid induced analgesia, changes in activity levels, social contact, and spatial learning in a water maze. The effects of a variety of opioid antagonist on these behavioral responses will be explored. The presence and secretion of POMC neuropeptides including beta-endorphin and Met-enkephlin as well as morphine will be examine din these parasites by HPLC and radioimmune assays. The effects of morphine and anandamide on the ganglia of Toxocaris canis will also be examined. Based on these studies, it is our expectation, that the basis of opioid behavioral alterations will be determined and establish a role for these signaling molecules in behavior that transcends analgesia, thus, having important consequences for psychiatry.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Resource-Related Research Projects (R24)
Project #
5R24MH047392-05
Application #
6318403
Study Section
Project Start
2000-07-01
Project End
2001-06-30
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2000
Total Cost
Indirect Cost

  Institution

Name
College at Old Westbury
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Old Westbury
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
11568

  Publications

Nieto-Fernandez, F; Andrieux, S; Idrees, S et al. (2009) The effect of opioids and their antagonists on the nocifensive response of Caenorhabditis elegans to noxious thermal stimuli. Invert Neurosci 9:195-200
Stefano, George B; Kream, Richard M; Mantione, Kirk J et al. (2008) Endogenous morphine/nitric oxide-coupled regulation of cellular physiology and gene expression: implications for cancer biology. Semin Cancer Biol 18:199-210
Stefano, George B; Kream, Richard M (2007) Endogenous morphine synthetic pathway preceded and gave rise to catecholamine synthesis in evolution (Review). Int J Mol Med 20:837-41
Pryor, Stephen C; Nieto, Fernando; Henry, Sherwyn et al. (2007) The effect of opiates and opiate antagonists on heat latency response in the parasitic nematode Ascaris suum. Life Sci 80:1650-5
Cheng, Jeanette; Zhang, Chen; Han, Ji-Sheng et al. (2007) TENS stimulates constitutive nitric oxide release via opiate signaling in invertebrate neural tissues. Med Sci Monit 13:BR163-7
Stefano, George B; Bianchi, Enrica; Guarna, Massimo et al. (2007) Nicotine, alcohol and cocaine coupling to reward processes via endogenous morphine signaling: the dopamine-morphine hypothesis. Med Sci Monit 13:RA91-102
Mantione, Kirk J; Kim, Celline; Stefano, George B (2006) Morphine regulates gill ciliary activity via coupling to nitric oxide release in a bivalve mollusk: opiate receptor expression in gill tissues. Med Sci Monit 12:BR195-200
Esch, Tobias; Kim, Jae Won; Stefano, George B (2006) Neurobiological implications of eating healthy. Neuro Endocrinol Lett 27:21-33
Kream, Richard M; Stefano, George B (2006) De novo biosynthesis of morphine in animal cells: an evidence-based model. Med Sci Monit 12:RA207-19
Stefano, George B; Fricchione, Gregory L; Esch, Tobias (2006) Relaxation: molecular and physiological significance. Med Sci Monit 12:HY21-31

Showing the most recent 10 out of 62 publications