| Title: | Alarm pheromone induces stress analgesia via an opioid system in the honeybee |
| Author(s): | Nunez J; Almeida L; Balderrama N; Giurfa M; |
| Address: | "Department of Biological Sciences, FCEyN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. postmast@insect.uba.ar" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/s0031-9384(97)00391-0 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0031-9384 (Print) 0031-9384 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Changes of the stinging response threshold of Apis mellifera scutellata were measured on foragers fixed on a holder and stimulated with an electric shock as a noxious stimulus. The threshold of responsiveness to the noxious stimulus increased when bees were previously stimulated with isopentyl acetate, which is a main component of the alarm pheromone of the sting chamber. This effect is antagonised by previous injection of naloxone-hydrochloride (Endo Laboratories Inc.). Results suggest that in the honeybee an endogenous opioid system activated by isopentyl acetate is responsible for modulation of perception for nociceptive stimuli. The resulting stress-induced analgesia in the defender bee would reduce its probability of withdrawal thus increasing its efficiency against enemies" |
| Keywords: | "*Analgesia Animals Bees/*physiology Electric Stimulation Naloxone/pharmacology Narcotic Antagonists/pharmacology Nociceptors/drug effects/physiology Pheromones/*pharmacology Receptors, Opioid/*drug effects Stress, Psychological/*psychology;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineNunez, J Almeida, L Balderrama, N Giurfa, M eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 1997/12/24 Physiol Behav. 1997 Dec 31; 63(1):75-80. doi: 10.1016/s0031-9384(97)00391-0" |
