Y. Hashiguchi et al., DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSES OF BRAIN, LIVER, AND MUSCLE GLYCOGEN TO OPIATES AND SURGICAL STRESS, SURGERY TODAY-THE JAPANESE JOURNAL OF SURGERY, 28(4), 1998, pp. 471-474
We examined the effects of intracerebroventricular (ICV) cannula impla
ntation followed by the administration of morphine sulfate (MOR) and i
ts metabolite, morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G), on the glycogen content o
f the brain, liver, and muscle. ICV cannulation resulted in nearly a 3
0% reduction in brain glycogen, and ICV MOR resulted in a 36% reductio
n in liver glycogen content compared to time-matched controls, but it
had no additional effect on either the brain or muscle glycogen conten
t, ICV M6G shelved a more significant reduction, to 50% of liver glyco
gen, but it had no effect on either brain or muscle glycogen. Neither
IV MOR nor M6G produced any significant alteration in tissue glycogen
content. These results indicate that the stress response associated wi
th neurosurgery, especially the placement of the ICV cannula, is assoc
iated with a decrement in brain glycogen. The activation of opioid rec
eptors in the brain results in enhanced hepatic glycogenolysis but has
no additional effect on the brain glycogen content.