Opposing tonically active endogenous opioid systems modulate the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway

Reward and its control by dynorphin peptides

Reward is a strong behavioral cue. It is argued that a sense of reward must be strictly controlled in time and magnitude to be functional. Central to the reward system is the mesolimbic dopamine pathway which is titillated by addictive drugs and alcohol. Rat lines or strains that voluntarily drink alcohol have lower dynorphin levels in relevant brain areas than those which avoid alcohol. Reward control may be a protective factor against addiction.

Central nervous system-immune system interactions: psychoneuroendocrinology of stress and its immune consequences

Psychoneuroimmunology is a relatively new discipline which deals with CNS-immune system interactions. The evidence for such interactions was reviewed, as was the neuroendocrinologic response to stress. Recent evidence indicates that the behavioral, nervous system, and neuroendocrine responses to stress are mediated by hypothalamic CRF, which acts on both the sympathetic nervous system and the HPA axis, resulting in increased levels of corticosteroids, catecholamines, and certain opiates, substances which are generally immunosuppressive. Concentrations of growth hormone and prolactin, which are immunoenhancing, are elevated early during the response to stress but are later suppressed. Although several other neuromediators may also be released with stress, the net effect of a variety of acute stressors is down regulation of the immune system function. In the following minireview, I consider whether stress alters the resistance of the host to infection as well as the immunomodulatory effects of released immune system mediators on the brain.

Interacting presynaptic kappa-opioid and GABAA receptors modulate dopamine release from rat striatal synaptosomes

The presynaptic regulation of stimulated dopamine release from superfused rat striatal synaptosomes by opioids and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was studied. It was found that in addition to dopamine D2 autoreceptors, calcium-dependent K(+)-stimulated [3H]dopamine release was inhibited through activation of a homogeneous population of kappa-opioid receptors in view of the potent inhibitory effect of the kappa-selective agonist U69,593 (EC50 0.2 nM) and its antagonism by norbinaltorphimine. Neither mu- nor delta-selective receptor agonists affected release of [3H]-dopamine. In addition, GABA potently inhibited the evoked [3H]dopamine release (EC50 0.4 nM) through activation of GABAA receptors in view of the GABA-mimicking effect of muscimol, the sensitivity of its inhibitory effect to picrotoxin and bicuculline, and the absence of an effect of the GABAB receptor agonist baclofen. In the presence of a maximally effective concentration of GABA, U69,593 did not induce an additional release-inhibitory effect, indicating that these receptors and the presynaptic D2 receptor are colocalized on the striatal dopaminergic nerve terminals. The excitatory amino acid agonists N-methyl-D-aspartate and kainate, as well as the cholinergic agonist carbachol, stimulated [3H]dopamine release, which was subject to kappa-opioid receptor-mediated inhibition. In conclusion, striatal dopamine release is under regulatory control of multiple excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter by activation of colocalized presynaptic receptors for excitatory amino acids, acetylcholine, dopamine, dynorphins, and GABA within the dopaminergic nerve terminals. Together, these receptors locally control ongoing dopamine neurotransmission.

Endogenous opioids and excessive alcohol consumption

Alcohol is one of the most popular drugs of abuse in our society, and alcoholism is an important cause of absenteeism at work and a major health and social problem. Ethanol induces a number of effects, such as disinhibition, a feeling of general well-being, tolerance and physical dependence. Since there are no specific receptors with which ethanol interacts, it has been proposed that ethanol exerts its effects by altering the activity of a number of neuronal and neuroendocrine systems. Studies have indicated that alcohol influences the activity of the dopaminergic, serotonergic and opioidergic systems. The implication of the endogenous opioid system in mediating some of the effects of ethanol is indicated by the observations that some of the behavioral and pharmacological effects of ethanol are similar to those of the opiates. Indeed, injections of small amounts of morphine increased ethanol consumption, while the administration of naltrexone decreased ethanol consumption among rats and other experimental animals, in a number of experimental paradigms, suggesting that endogenous opioids may play an important role in controlling voluntary ethanol consumption. This paper reviews studies of the effects of ethanol on the activity of the endogenous opioid system and on the importance of endogenous opioids in controlling alcohol consumption.

Differential down- and up-regulation of rat brain opioid receptor types and subtypes by buprenorphine

The induction of opioid receptor adaptation by mixed agonist-antagonists such as buprenorphine has not been investigated. To this end, neonatal rats were given injections of buprenorphine (0.1-2.5 mg/kg/day) and mu binding (Kd and Bmax) to brain membranes was measured with [3H][D-Ala2,MePhe4,Gly-ol5]enkephalin. At doses of buprenorphine of > or = 0.5 mg/kg, mu sites were reduced 47-75%, without changes in affinity. Chronic administration of the structurally related partial agonist diprenorphine (2.5-75 mg/kg) failed to alter mu binding. Apparent loss of sites due to receptor blockade by residual buprenorphine was ruled out by several lines of evidence. Bmax values for delta ([3H][D-Ser2,L-Leu5]enkephalyl-Thr) and kappa ([3H]U69593) binding were elevated 1.9-4.2-fold by buprenorphine treatment. In adult rats buprenorphine (0.5-2.5 mg/kg) reduced mu-opioid binding to forebrain membranes dose dependently, by 25-77%. [3H][D-Ser2,L-Leu5] Enkephalyl-Thr-labeled delta subtype receptors and kappa sites in adult forebrain membranes were up-regulated 2-3-fold. The delta subtype receptors that bind [3H][D-Pen2,D-Pen5]enkephalin in neonatal or adult brain membranes were unaffected by 0.5-2.5 mg/kg buprenorphine treatment. Down-regulation (70-74%) of mu sites and up-regulation (1.9-6.7 fold) of delta and kappa receptors were also observed in synaptic plasma membrane-enriched and microsomal fractions from buprenorphine-treated adult rat brain. Because agonist-induced opioid receptor down-regulation is difficult to elicit in adult mammalian brain, these data indicate that buprenorphine is a useful tool to study brain opioid receptor adaptation in vivo.

An ATP-sensitive potassium channel blocker abolishes the potentiating effect of morphine on the bicuculline-induced convulsion in mice

ICV bicuculline, a selective GABAA antagonist, dose-dependently induced clonic-tonic convulsions in mice. Coadministration of ICV morphine (mu opioid agonist) significantly potentiated ICV bicuculline-induced convulsions, and this effect of morphine was completely blocked by pretreatment with beta-funaltrexamine (beta-FNA), a mu antagonist. ICV glibenclamide, a selective ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channel blocker, at a dose which alone did not affect the convulsive threshold of bicuculline, was capable of blocking the exacerbation of ICV bicuculline-induced convulsions by morphine. The present data further suggest that KATP channels may play a tonic regulatory role in the potentiative effect of morphine on ICV bicuculline-induced convulsions.

Antagonism of the morphine-induced Straub tail reaction by kappa-opioid receptor activation in mice

The Straub tail reaction (STR) induced by intracerebroventricular injection (ICV) of morphine was significantly antagonized by beta-funaltrexamine (beta-FNA, mu antagonist), given intracerebroventricularly (ICV), but not naltrindole given ICV (NTI, delta antagonist) or SC norbinaltorphimine given subcutaneously (SC) (nor-BNI, kappa antagonist). When given either SC or ICV the kappa-agonist, U-50,488 H markedly suppressed the STR elicited by ICV morphine; these effects were reversed by nor-BNI. These results suggest that the activation of supraspinal kappa receptors can inhibit the ICV morphine-induced STR which results from activation of supraspinal mu receptors.