Lesions of the lateral parabrachial nucleus block the aversive motivational effects of both morphine and morphine withdrawal but spare morphine's discrimination properties.

Abstract

This study examined if the aversive properties of morphine, the aversive properties of morphine withdrawal, and the discriminative properties of morphine are mediated by common neurobiological substrates. Lesions of the lateral parabrachial nucleus, which blocked the aversive properties of morphine in the conditioned taste aversion paradigm, also blocked the acquisition of conditioned place aversions to environments paired with the aversive properties of morphine withdrawal in morphine-dependent rats. When morphine and saline were used as cues in a discrimination task, however, both sham-operated and lesioned rats were able to solve the task.

Tiapride prevents the aversive but not the rewarding effect induced by parabrachial electrical stimulation in a place preference task

“…In relation to the CPA, these results are compatible with previous reports that the parabrachial complex as a whole is related to aversive processes (Bernard et al 1994, Nader et al 1996, Mediavilla et al 2000. More specifically, it has been suggested that the NLPBe may play a major role in processing the affective and emotional components of nociception (Gariau and Bernard 2001) or taste (Hajnal and Norgren 2004) and even in generating human feelings of wellbeing or malaise (Balaban andThayer 2001, Schachter 2004).…”

“…The parabrachial complex has been related to both rewarding and aversive behavioral processes. Its involvement has been reported in taste aversion learning (Mediavilla et al 2005, Carter et al 2015, the processing of affective and autonomic dimensions of pain (Gauriau and Bernard 2002), the aversive effects of some drugs of abuse (Nader et al 1996), and in the effects induced by administration of various rewarding nutrients (Yamamoto and Sawa 2000a, b).…”

Lateral Hypothalamic Orexin/Hypocretin Neurons That Project to Ventral Tegmental Area Are Differentially Activated with Morphine Preference

“…Our results reveal that non-dependent versus post-dependent states influence the regulation of opiate reward by the orexin system. Previous studies (Bechara et al, 1992; Bechara et al, 1995; Nader and van der Kooy, 1996, 1997) support the idea of a state-dependent difference in brain regions required for opiate reward, such that a dopamine neurons are needed in animals with previous drug exposure whereas a non-dopaminergic system is required in naïve animals (Bechara et al, 1995). Although there was no significant difference in preference scores for post- and non-dependent rats in our study, in contrast with other studies (Harris et al, 2003a, 2006), our current finding was consistent with a previous report (Bechara et al, 1992).…”

Interactions between age and the aversive effects of nicotine withdrawal under mecamylamine-precipitated and spontaneous conditions in male Wistar rats

“…Overall, nicotine-treated rats expressed significantly more withdrawal signs at 6, 12 and 24 h post-pump removal compared to saline-treated rats; *p < 0.05, significantly different from age appropriate saline-treated rats. c Bars represent mean (+SEM) time spent in the withdrawal-paired (black bars) and non-withdrawal-paired (white bars) compartments during the 15-min place aversion test, n=12 per group controlled studies have argued against this possibility (Nader et al 1996;Bechara et al 1998;Grieder et al 2007). It remains possible that other procedures are more sensitive in detecting withdrawal responses, particularly when considering the milder nature of withdrawal from nicotine compared to other drugs of abuse.…”