Analgesic and discriminative stimulus properties of U-62,066E, the selective kappa-opioid receptor agonist, in the rat

Effects of sex and hydration status on kappa opioid receptor-mediated diuresis in rats

Understanding the function of the kappa opioid receptor (KOP) is crucial for the development of novel therapeutic interventions that target KOP for the treatment of pain, stress-related disorders and other indications. Activation of KOP produces diuretic effects in rodents and man. Sex is a vital factor to consider when assessing drug response in pre-clinical and clinical studies. In this study, the diuretic effect of the KOP agonist, U50488 (1-10 mg/kg), was investigated in both adult female and male Wistar rats that were either normally hydrated or water-loaded. The KOP antagonist norbinaltorphimine (norBNI, 10 mg/kg) was administered 24 h prior to U50488 to confirm the involvement of KOP. U50488 elicited a significant diuretic response at doses ≥ 3 mg/kg in both female and male rats independent of hydration status. U50488 diuretic effects were inhibited by norBNI pre-administration. Water-loading reduced data variability for urine volume in males, but not in females, compared with normally hydrated rats. Sex differences were also evident in U50488 eliciting a significant increase in sodium and potassium ion excretion only in males. This may suggest different mechanisms of U50488 diuretic action in males where renal excretion mechanisms are directly affected more than in females.

Placenta ingestion by rats enhances δ- and κ-opioid antinociception, but suppresses μ-opioid antinociception

Ingestion of placenta or amniotic fluid produces a dramatic enhancement of centrally mediated opioid antinociception in the rat. The present experiments investigated the role of each opioid receptor type (mu, delta, kappa) in the antinociception-modulating effects of Placental Opioid-Enhancing Factor (POEF-presumably the active substance). Antinociception was measured on a 52 degrees C hotplate in adult, female rats after they ingested placenta or control substance (1.0 g) and after they received an intracerebroventricular injection of a delta-specific ([D-Pen2,D-Pen5]enkephalin (DPDPE); 0, 30, 50, 62, or 70 nmol), mu-specific ([D-Ala2,N-MePhe4,Gly5-ol]enkephalin (DAMGO); 0, 0.21, 0.29, or 0.39 nmol), or kappa-specific (U-62066; spiradoline; 0, 100, 150, or 200 nmol) opioid receptor agonist. The results showed that ingestion of placenta potentiated delta- and kappa-opioid antinociception, but attenuated mu-opioid antinociception. This finding of POEF action as both opioid receptor-specific and complex provides an important basis for understanding the intrinsic pain-suppression mechanisms that are activated during parturition and modified by placentophagia, and important information for the possible use of POEF as an adjunct to opioids in pain management.

A review of the properties of spiradoline: a potent and selective kappa-opioid receptor agonist

The selective kappa-opioid receptor agonist spiradoline mesylate (U62,066E), an arylacetamide, was synthesized with the intention of creating an analgesic that, while still retaining its analgesic properties, would be devoid of the, mainly mu receptor mediated, side effects such as physical dependence and respiratory depression associated with morphine. Spiradoline is highly selective for the kappa receptor with K(i) of 8.6 nM in guinea pig. Examination of the enantiomers of spiradoline, showed the (-)enantiomer to be responsible for the kappa agonist properties. Spiradoline easily penetrates the blood brain barrier, and does not seem to have any significant active metabolites. In preclinical studies, spiradoline has a short duration of action with a peak at around 30 min after administration. The analgesic properties of spiradoline are well documented in mice and rats. Antitussive properties have also been reported in rats. Furthermore, spiradoline was reported to display effects suggestive of neuroprotective properties in animal models of ischemia. In humans, spiradoline is a potent diuretic. It also produces significant sedation presumably due to its antihistamine properties. Preclinical studies have shown that spiradoline reduces blood pressure and heart rate, and has possible antiarrhythmic properties. Clinical studies did not confirm these findings. kappa Receptors inhibit dopaminergic neurotransmission. Spiradoline, given systematically to rats, produces a significant and long lasting decrease in dopamine release, and in locomotor activity. It has also antipsychotic-like effect in animal behavioral tests. At low doses spiradoline was reported to decrease tics in patients with Tourette's syndrome. Although spiradoline had promising effects in animal tests of analgesia, and a reasonably good safety profile in preliminary studies, it did not replace morphine as an analgesic. The available clinical data suggest that spiradoline produces disturbing adverse effects such as diuresis, sedation, and dysphoria at doses lower than those needed for analgesic effects. Thus, future development of spiradoline-like analgesic compounds should preferably focus on reduction of unwanted effects on the central nervous system. Spiradoline, which currently is commercially available for preclinical research, might prove useful in some psychiatric conditions and possibly as a neuroprotective agent.

Chronic sucrose intake augments antinociception induced by injections of mu but not kappa opioid receptor agonists into the periaqueductal gray matter in male and female rats

Chronic intake of a palatable sucrose solution enhances the antinociceptive potency of systemically administered mu, and kappa opioid receptor agonists. To investigate whether the effects of sucrose on the actions of opioid drugs are mediated within the central nervous system (CNS), antinociception was examined following the administration of mu and kappa opioid receptor agonists into the periaqueductal gray area (PAG). Male and female Long-Evans rats consumed either water and ground chow, or water, chow and a 32% (w/v) sucrose solution. After adaptation to the dietary conditions, a guide cannula was stereotaxically implanted into the PAG. Injections of the mu agonist, morphine (0.0, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0 and 20.0 microg), into the PAG led to dose-related increases in antinociceptive responses on a tail flick test in both male and female rats. Rats which had consumed sucrose displayed significantly greater levels of antinociception than rats not given the sugar. Antinociceptive responses to morphine did not differ as a function of sex. Injections of the kappa agonist, spiradoline (0, 100, 300, 600 microg), into the PAG increased tail flick latencies in male and female rats. However, antinociceptive responses did not vary as a function of diet in rats injected with spiradoline. In both diet conditions, spiradoline led to greater levels of antinociception in female rats than in male rats. These results support the hypothesis that intake of palatable foods and fluids act within the CNS to moderate the behavioral actions of opioid drugs.

Intake of a palatable sucrose solution modifies the actions of spiradoline, a kappa opioid receptor agonist, on analgesia and feeding behavior in male and female rats

Previous research has shown that rats consuming a sucrose solution and chow are more sensitive to the analgesic actions of morphine, a selective mu opioid agonist, and the anorectic actions of opioid antagonists, than rats eating only chow. However, from these data, it cannot be determined if sucrose intake only modifies the behavioral consequences of drugs that act at the mu opioid receptor, or if the sugar also alters the actions of opioid drugs that act at other opioid receptor subtypes. Thus, the present experiments examined the effects of sucrose intake on the actions of spiradoline, a selective kappa opioid agonist, on analgesia and food intake in male and female Long-Evans rats. In Experiment 1, male and female rats consumed either chow, a 32% sucrose solution and water, or only chow and water. After 3 weeks, antinociceptive responses on the tail-flick test were determined after spiradoline injections (0.0, 0.3, 1.0, and 3.0 mg/ kg, s.c.). Rats fed sucrose were more sensitive to the analgesic actions of spiradoline than rats fed only chow. In Experiment 2, drug-naive male and female rats were maintained under the same dietary conditions as in Experiment 1. Food intake was measured 1, 2, 4, and 6 h after spiradoline injections (0.0, 0.3, 1.0, and 3.0 mg/kg, s.c.). Spiradoline led to significant dose-related decreases in food intake for males and females in both dietary conditions. However, the anorectic effects of the drug were more pronounced in rats fed sucrose than in those eating only chow. These results support the hypothesis that intake of palatable foods and fluids alters the activity of the endogenous opioid system.

Opiate states of memory: receptor mechanisms

The present studies characterized the receptor mechanisms of morphine-induced states of memory. Morphine (5 mg/kg) produced a state in which rats could learn and retrieve an operant response; retrieval was impaired, however, when the rats were tested in the normal state. Conversely, rats that were trained in the normal state failed to retrieve the response in the morphine state. In either case the mnesic state was dose dependent, commencing at morphine doses as low as 0.8 mg/kg. In rats trained with 5 mg/kg of morphine, retrieval was fully adequate when tested with this same dose but not when tested with either lower or higher doses. Naloxone, but not naltrindole, antagonized the morphine-induced state; heroin and (-)-cyclazocine, but not U50,488H, (+)-cyclazocine and SNC80, produced a state in which retrieval occurred at least partially. Time-effect studies in which injections were made from 0 to 240 min before the sessions indicated that the retrieval in saline-to-morphine and morphine-to-saline conditions occurred along different time courses; a theory of opiate signal transduction suggests that these temporal profiles result from morphine producing two bi-directional mnesic states that may differ as much as the analgesia and hyperalgesia that morphine also induces. It appears that a particular magnitude of mu opiate receptor activation produces a state to which a memory trace can be confined in a highly selective manner. The normal and this particular morphine state are only some of the many mutually inaccessible and molecularly definable states of memory that are likely to exist, thus challenging the unitary concept of an individual organism's memory.

The effects of the kappa agonist U-50,488 on cocaine-induced conditioned and unconditioned behaviors and Fos immunoreactivity

The ability of kappa opioid agonists to modulate dopamine-mediated behavior and Fos immunoreactivity was assessed in adult rats. It was predicted that kappa agonist treatment would block the unconditioned and conditioned behaviors produced by cocaine (an indirect dopamine agonist). In the initial experiments, cocaine-induced locomotor activity was assessed after either acute or chronic injections of the kappa receptor agonist U-50,488 (5 mg/kg, SC). As expected, U-50,488 decreased cocaine-induced activity, while leaving baseline activity levels unaffected. Interestingly, chronic treatment with U-50,488 did not induce behavioral tolerance. The conditioned effects of cocaine (20 mg/kg, IP) were assessed using the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. As expected, rats showed a preference for the cocaine-paired compartment, an effect blocked by U-50,488 (5 mg/kg, SC). One hour after CPP testing, rats were killed and Fos immunoreactivity was assessed. Rats conditioned with cocaine, but not U-50,488, showed increased Fos activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, piriform cortex, lateral septal area, and olfactory tubercles. When considered together, these results suggest that U-50,488 was effective at blocking the unconditioned and conditioned effects of cocaine, as well as cocaine-induced neuronal activity (as measured by Fos induction).

Involvement of mesolimbic kappa-opioid systems in the discriminative stimulus effects of morphine

The neuroanatomical basis of opiate addiction has been studied using a variety of behavioural techniques. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of mesolimbic opioid systems, in particular kappa-opioid systems, in the expression of the discriminative stimulus effects of abused drugs. Rats were trained to discriminate morphine (3.0 mg/kg s.c.) from saline under a fixed ratio schedule of food reinforcement. Once rats had acquired the discrimination, a randomized sequence of different doses of the highly selective kappa-opioid receptor agonist U69593 (0.02-0.16 mg/kg s.c.) was given 20 min prior to a systemic morphine injection. U69593 dose-dependently blocked the morphine discrimination. It is important to note that U69593 at these doses failed to generalize to the systemic morphine cue. The site of action by U69593 (0.02-0.16 microgram) was examined by microinjecting discrete amounts into target brain regions. Intra-nucleus accumbens injections of U69593 dose-dependently blocked the systemic morphine cue, whereas, U69593 failed to generalize to the discriminative stimulus. The same doses did not affect morphine discrimination after intra-ventral tegmental area or striatum injections. Besides the rewarding effects of drugs of abuse, the discriminative stimulus properties of these agents are seen as a major factor in drug seeking behaviours. The present study shows that the discriminative effects of morphine, a measure of the subjective effects of this drug can be blocked by the activation of kappa-opioid receptors located in the nucleus accumbens. In view of these findings which show that the activity of endogenous potassium-opioid systems (dynorphin) may serve as physiological antagonists to counteract the effects of morphine, potassium-agonists therefore may be useful in the treatment of opioid addictions.

Monoamine systems in the discriminative effects of spiradoline, a kappa-opioid agonist

The results of studies on mice indicate that the antinociceptive effects of kappa-opioid agonists are due, in part, to activation of the 5-HT2 type of serotonin receptor. One objective of this study was to determine if the discriminative effects of spiradoline, a kappa-opioid agonist, are mediated by 5-HT2 receptors in rats also. A second objective was to confirm findings that dopamine receptor antagonists produce spiradoline-like discriminative effects (Ohno et al., 1992). Rats were trained to discriminate between spiradoline (3.0 mg/kg) and saline in a discrete-trial avoidance/escape procedure. In subsequent tests of stimulus generalization, the discriminative effects of spiradoline were not mimicked by fenfluramine (0.3-10 mg/kg) or fluoxetine (1.0-10 mg/kg), drugs that enhance serotonergically mediated neurotransmission, nor were they blocked by the 5-HT2 antagonists pirenperone (0.01-1.0 mg/kg) and ketanserin (0.1-10 mg/kg), or potentiated by fluoxetine pretreatment. Neither the dopamine receptor antagonists haloperidol (0.01-0.3 mg/kg) and sulpiride (3.0-100 mg/kg) nor the agonists apomorphine (0.03-0.3 mg/kg) and d-amphetamine (0.1-3.0 mg/kg) engendered spiradoline-like discriminative effects. These results demonstrate further the pharmacological specificity of the discriminative effects of spiradoline, but provide no evidence for mediation by serotonergic or dopaminergic systems.

Discriminative stimulus and response rate-decreasing effects of kappa opioids: antagonism by naloxone

The present study examined the discriminative stimulus and response rate-decreasing effects of kappa opioids in pigeons trained to discriminate a 0.017 mg/kg dose of bremazocine from saline. Bremazocine, spiradoline, CI977, U69,593 and U50,488 substituted completely for the bremazocine stimulus in a dose-dependent and naloxone-reversible manner. Apparent pA2 values (range, 6.01-6.81) of naloxone against the discriminative stimulus effects of these kappa opioids were smaller than those reported previously in the pigeon for naloxone against the discriminative stimulus effects of various mu opioids. Bremazocine, CI977, spiradoline and U69,593 also decreased rate of responding in a dose-dependent and naloxone-reversible manner. The apparent pA2 values (range, 6.25-6.44) for naloxone against the rate-decreasing effects of bremazocine, CI977 and U69,593 were not different from the apparent pA2 values for naloxone against their discriminative stimulus effects. An apparent pA2 for naloxone against the rate-decreasing effects of spiradoline could not be determined due to the shallow slope of the Schild plot. Although the rate-decreasing effects of U50,488 were antagonized by naloxone, the degree of antagonism was small and not dose-dependent. These findings indicate that the discriminative stimulus and rate-decreasing effects of some kappa opioids are mediated by similar mechanisms and that a non-opioid mechanism may contribute to the rate-decreasing effects of spiradoline and U50,488.