Objective To investigate the opioidergic mechanism of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) for regulating sodium appetite in rats.Methods Using the elaborate invasive cerebral cannulation and brain microinjection method,we observed the effects of bilateral intra-CeA injections of DAMGO (a selective μ-opioid receptor agonist) and CTAP (a highly selective μ-opioid receptor antagonist),either alone or in combination,on NaCl solution (0.3 mol/L) and water intake by rats in different models of Na+ingest...