Morphine hyperglycaemia

Abstract

1. To find the site where morphine acts when producing hyperglycaemia on injection into the cerebral ventricles in unanaesthetized cats, morphine sulphate was infused or injected through an implanted Collison cannula into different parts of the liquor space in an amount of 0.75 mg except on microinfusion into the posterior hypothalamus, when the amounts were 80 or 160 mug. The glucose was determined in blood samples collected from the inferior vena cava.2. Microinfusions of morphine into the posterior hypothalamus did not produce hyperglycaemia.3. Infusion of morphine into the liquor space at the entrance of the aqueduct or of the fourth ventricle produced hyperglycaemia. Any structures in the walls of the third ventricle as well as the peri-aqueductal grey are thus excluded as the site of action.4. Infusion of morphine into the subarachnoid space just above the corpora quadrigemina or below the ventral surface of the brain stem produced hyperglycaemia. With these routes the morphine does not enter any part of the ventricular cavities and the action would appear to be on structures at the ventral surface of the brain stem.5. Injection of morphine into the cisterna magna produces hyperglycaemia when the doses are larger than those already effective on injection into the cerebral ventricles. This also suggests an action on structures at the ventral surface of the brain stem, as this surface is reached more readily from the ventricles than from the cisterna.6. It is concluded that on injection into the cerebral ventricles, the morphine has to pass into the subarachnoid space, through the foramina of Luschka, in order to produce hyperglycaemia. It then reaches the ventral surface of the brain stem and probably acts there on structures in the upper part of the medulla oblongata.7. Infusion of morphine into the corpora quadrigemina near the caudal end of the superior corpora can produce profound hypoglycaemia.8. Anaesthesia depresses the morphine hyperglycaemia, but when the dose injected into the cerebral ventricles is increased four times or more, hyperglycaemia is also produced in pentobarbitone sodium anaesthesia.