Enkephalin may mediate euphoria and drive-reduction ...

Abstract

THE identification in brain of opiate receptors1 and morphine-like pentapeptides (methionine-enkephalin and leucine-enkephalin)2 has led to suggestions that enkephalin receptors may be sites at which opiate drugs induce analgesia and euphoria, and that the enkephalins themselves may be transmitters or modulators in brain systems for the regulation of pain and pleasure3–6. Observations in animals reveal that appropriate central administration of enkephalin produces morphine-like analgesia7–9 and physical dependence10. We report here that enkephalin also may share the euphorigenic or rewarding properties of morphine in that rats will work for enkephalin injections delivered directly into the ventricles of their own brains11. Of particular interest, in the light of the generally superior potency of the methionine peptide2,8,9, is the observation that leucine-enkephalin is self-administered with greater avidity than methionine-enkephalin.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access through your institution

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 52 print issues and online access

$199.00 per year

only $3.83 per issue

Buy this article

• Purchase on SpringerLink
• Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

1. Goldstein, A. Science 193, 1081–1086 (1976).

   Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

2. Hughes, J. et al. Nature 258, 577–579 (1975).

   Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

3. Kosterlitz, H. W. & Hughes, J. Life Sci. 17, 91–96 (1975).

   Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

4. Liebeskind, J. D., Giesler, G. J. & Urca, G. in Sensory Functions of the Skin (ed. Zotterman, Y.) 561–573 (Pergamon, Oxford, 1976).

   Book  Google Scholar 

5. Snyder, S. H. Nature 257, 185–189 (1975).

   Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

6. Byck, R. Lancet ii, 72–73 (1976).

   Article  Google Scholar 

7. Belluzzi, J. D. et al. Nature 260, 625–626 (1976).

   Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

8. Buscher, H. H. et al. Nature 261, 423–425 (1976).

   Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

9. Chang, J-K., Fong, B. T. N., Pert, A. & Pert, C. Life Sci. 18, 1473–1482 (1976).

   Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

10. Wei, E. & Loh, H. Sciences 193, 1262 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

11. Belluzzi, J. D., Wise, C. D. & Stein, L. Neurosci. Abstr. 2, 564 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

12. Amit, Z., Brown, Z. W. & Sklar, L. S. Psychopharmacology 48, 291–294 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

13. Simantov, R. & Snyder, S. H. Life Sci. 18, 781–788 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

14. German, D. C. & Bowden, D. M. Brain Res. 73, 381 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

15. Elde, R., Hökfelt, T., Johansson, O. & Terenius, L. Neuroscience 1, 349–352 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

16. Mayer, D. J., Wolfe, T. L., Akil, H., Carder, B. & Liebeskind, J. C. Science 174, 1351–1354 (1971).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

17. Versteeg, D. H. G., Van DerGugten, J., DeJong, W. & Palkovits, M. Brain Res. 113, 563–574 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

18. Stein, L., Belluzzi, J. D. & Wise, C. D. in Brain-Stimulation Reward (eds Wauquire, A. & Rolls, E. T.) 297–331 (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1976).

    Google Scholar 

19. Pozuelo, J. & Kerr, F. W. L. Mayo Clin. Proc. 47, 621–628 (1972).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

20. Davis, W. M., Smith, S. G. & Khalsa, J. H. Pharmac. Biochem. Behav. 3, 477–484 (1975).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

21. Crow, T. J. Psychol. Med. 3, 66–73 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

1. Wyeth Laboratories, P.O. Box 8299, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19101

   JAMES D. BELLUZZI & LARRY STEIN

Authors

1. JAMES D. BELLUZZI
2. LARRY STEIN

About this article

Cite this article

BELLUZZI, J., STEIN, L. Enkephalin may mediate euphoria and drive-reduction reward. Nature 266, 556–558 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/266556a0

Download citation

• Received: 30 November 1976

• Accepted: 11 February 1977

• Issue date: 07 April 1977

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/266556a0