Effects of Neonatal Stress and Morphine on Kappa Opioid Receptor Signaling

Abstract

Neonatal stress increases KOR activation via the dynorphin system. Neonatal stress plus morphine treatment further increased this response and also resulted in hippocampal gliosis. Enhanced gliosis noted in Pdyn(-/-) animals suggests that the endogenous dynorphin may play a role in downregulating this inflammatory response.