Possible Interaction: Morphine and Adrenocorticotropic Hormone

“ Morphine blunted the ACTH response for the first 60 min and cortisol response for the first 90 min after CRH administration.”

“Furthermore, morphine increases the secretion of CRH, ACTH and glucocorticoids, i.e. substances with inhibitory effects on the immune system.”

“We conclude that glucocorticoids and morphine agonists exert interactive inhibitory effects on ACTH release in humans, probably by virtue of their suppression of CRH release from the hypothalamus.”

“Rats given a single injection of morphine exhibited a marked hypersecretion of ACTH and an exaggeration of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) response to stress.”

“While chronic administration of morphine results in tolerance to the stimulant effect of ACTH , and possibly of prolactin secretion, tolerance does not develop to the stimulant effect on GH secretion.”

“Experimental data indicates that pituitary peptides such as corticotropin and vasopressin, in addition to the endorphins, influence the development of physical dependence on either morphine or ethanol.”

“Administering morphine 20 mg/kg to rats, the decrease in the sensitivity of cortical cells to ACTH in steroidogenesis was observed to be parallel in time to the onset of transformation of mitochondria, while withdrawal of morphine in addicted rats resulted in a similar change.”

“Administering morphine 20 mg/kg to rats, the decrease in the sensitivity of cortical cells to ACTH in steroidogenesis was observed to be parallel in time to the onset of transformation of mitochondria while withdrawal of morphine in addicted rats resulted in a similar change.”

“ Morphine relieved the hormonal response in ACTH and cortisol strongly, but morphine suppressed hemodynamics by decreasing SVR.”

“In this respect, the ability of morphine to inhibit ACTH releasel and to block the pituitary-adrenal (PA) response to certain stimuli2,3 must be considered.”