Effect Of MPEP On The Rewrading Property And Locomotor Activity Induced By Morphine In Mice

Drug addiction is one kind of chronic relapse nature brain disease, has complicated neurobiology mechanism. Recent research demonstrates glutamate plays an important role in processes underlying addiction. MPEP (2-methyl-6-[phenylethynyl]-pyridine) is that one kind of new model, potent, selective and systemically active metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) type I (subtype mGluR5) antagonist. In the present study, we examined the effect of MPEP on conditioned morphine reward and the ability studying memory in mice. Our results suggested that MPEP at 10mg·kg^-1 neither produce place preference or aversion, nor affected locomotor activity of mice. MPEP at 10mg·kg^-1 part inhibits the development but not the expression of morphine induced CPP. Meanwhile, MPEP(10mg·kg^-1) does not affect the morphine induced behavioral sensitization. Furthermore, MPEP could potentiate the impairement effect of morphine on the space learning and memory at this dose. This implicates that the mechanism of CPP may be different from that of behavioral sensitization, and mGluR5-blockade as a potential treatment for morphine addiction by reducing the rewarding effects of environmental stimuli, thereby preventing relapse.