Morphine Modulates Mouse Hippocampal Progenitor Cell Lineages by Upregulating miR-181a Level

The mechanism by which addictive drugs such as morphine regulate adult neurogenesis remains elusive. We now demonstrate that morphine can regulate neurogenesis by control of miR-181a and subsequent hippocampal neural progenitor cell (hNPC) lineages. In the presence of morphine, hNPCs preferentially differentiated into astrocytes, an effect blocked by the specific μ-opioid receptor antagonist, Cys2-Tyr3-Orn5-Pen7-amide. This effect was mediated...