No abstract

Multiple postpartum separations from the offspring alter the behavior of Long-Evans dams in novel/aversive environments and affect their sensitivity to the antinociceptive effects of morphine.

In Long-Evans rats, daily 3-h separation from the dam during the neonatal period results in enduring alterations in behavioral and neuroendocrine responses to stressors and sensitivity to antinociceptive effects of acute and chronic morphine. We tested whether early neonatal experience alters sensitivity to effects of morphine on locomotor activity. The subjects were adult rats that had one of the following backgrounds: daily separation from the dam on postnatal days 2-14 for either 3 h (maternal separation (MS)) or 15 min (handled control (H)) or no separation from the dam (non-handled control (NH)). After two consecutive days of baseline activity measurements, subjects were tested daily after SC injections of either morphine (10 mg/kg) or saline for seven days and again on day 10. Beginning five days later, saline and 1.0-10 mg/kg of morphine were tested in all animals. On the baseline days, MS animals had higher horizontal and vertical activity than did NH controls, whereas H animals spent more time in the center of the testing chamber. In MS and H animals but not in NH controls, daily injections of morphine produced progressive increases in all locomotor activity measures, indicative of sensitization (horizontal counts, center time) and tolerance (vertical counts). MS animals with a history of morphine treatment had significantly higher horizontal and vertical activity after a saline injection than did their counterparts with a history of saline treatment, indicative of conditioning. They also exhibited greater locomotor sensitization to 1.0 mg/kg of morphine than did H and NH controls. These results provide further evidence that environmental manipulation in the form of maternal separation early in life results in enduring changes in sensitivity to effects of morphine that could reflect altered endogenous opioid systems.

No abstract

Enantiomeric propanolamines have been identified as a new class of NR2B-selective NMDA receptor antagonists. The most effective agents are biaryl structures, synthesized in six steps with overall yields ranging from 11–64%. The compounds are potent and selective inhibitors of NR2B-containing recombinant NMDA receptors with IC50 values between 30–100 nM. Potency is strongly controlled by substitution on both rings and the centrally located amine nitrogen. SAR analysis suggests that well-balanced polarity and chain-length factors provide the greatest inhibitory potency. Structural comparisons based on 3D shape analysis and electrostatic complementarity support this conclusion. The antagonists are neuroprotective in both in vitro and in vivo models of ischemic cell death. In addition, some compounds exhibit anticonvulsant properties. Unlike earlier generation NMDA receptor antagonists and some NR2B-selective antagonists, the present series of propanolamines does not cause increased locomotion in rodents. Thus, the NR2B-selective antagonists exhibit a range of therapeutically interesting properties.