Abstract
The effect of morphine on phospholipid metabolism in superior cervical sympathetic ganglion of rats was investigated in vitro. The dissected sympathetic ganglion was incubated in standard bathing solution with 32P inorganic phosphate and the incorporation of radioactivity into phospholipid was measured. The rate of 32P incorporation into total phospholipid was linear between one and four hour incubation. Three hour incubation of sympathetic ganglion in 10-4M morphine did not alter the phospholipid metabolism of both resting and acetylcholine-stimulated ganglia, in spite of the definite depressive effect at this concentration of morphine on the electrophysiological activity of ganglion cells. This result suggests that the depressant effect of morphine on sympathetic ganglion is not directly related to changes of phospholipid metabolism in sympathetic ganglion.
