The role of NR2B containing NMDA receptor in place preference conditioned with morphine and natural reinforcers in rats

Cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the neurotoxicity of opioid and psychostimulant drugs

“…NR2B-containing NMDA receptors in the NAc and the dorsal hippocampus were proposed to play a significant role in mediating the reinstatement of rewarding responses to morphine . This effect seems to be specific for morphine because NR2B containing NMDA receptors are more involved in morphine reward rather than in natural rewards (Ma et al, 2006). Nevertheless, the acute exposure to opiates may have different effects on NMDA receptors when compared to the chronic exposure.…”

Glutamate Mechanisms Underlying Opiate Memories

“…NMDA-R antagonists block both the acquisition and expression of morphine CPP (Tzschentke and Schmidt 1995;Tzschentke and Schmidt 1997;Popik et al 1998Popik et al , 2003aSuzuki et al 2000;Papp et al 2002;Ribeiro Do Couto et al 2004;Yonghui et al 2006;Rezayof et al 2007;Zarrindast et al 2007;Heinmiller et al 2009;Kao et al 2011;Ma et al 2011b). These effects are at least partly mediated by NR2B-containing NMDA-Rs, as NR2B-selective antagonists, such as ifenprodil, are capable of producing comparable effects (Suzuki et al 1999;Narita et al 2000;Ma et al 2006Ma et al , 2011b. Furthermore, an effective dose of ifenprodil does not alter spatial learning and memory in a nonopiate paradigm (Ma et al 2011b), suggesting that these effects may be independent of context memory encoding.…”

The Neuroscience Research Institute at Peking University: A Place for the Solution of Pain and Drug Abuse

“…Our data indicated that the NR2B-containing NMDARs in the nucleus accumbens and the hippocampus play a significant role in mediating the reinstatement of rewarding responses to morphine exposure. Ifenprodil, an antagonist of NMDARs and highly selective to the NR2B subunit, is expected to be a prototype drug to be used for prevention of drug relapse (Ma et al 2006(Ma et al , 2007. Some of the findings have been included in a chapter of the Comprehensive Textbook of Substance Abuse .…”