Effects of opiate agonists and antagonists on central neurons of the cat.

Morphine, naloxone, nalorphine, levorphanol, dextrorphan and levallorphan were ejected electrophoretically from micropipettes near cholinoceptive and noncholinoceptive cells of the spinal cord, ventrobasal thalamus and cerebral cortex of decerebrate and barbiturate-anesthetized cats. Morphine excited those cells having nicotinic receptors for acetylcholine. Naloxone and nalorphine reduced the action of morphine and acetylcholine on these cells but not the effects of excitant amino acids. Levorphanol excited spinal neurons also excited by acetylcholine, an effect antagonized by naloxone, but also showed atropine-like activity when ejected for prolonged periods. Dextrorphan depressed the firing of both cholinoceptive and noncholinoceptive spinal neurons. Levallorphan reduced the effects of both acetylcholine and excitant amino acids on spinal neurons. The depressant effects of morphine and levorphanol on noncholinoceptive spinal neurons were not antagonized by naloxone.