Naltrexone and the tail flick reflex

Inhibition of morphine-induced cAMP overshoot: a cell-based assay model in a high-throughput format

Opiates are not only potent analgesics but also drugs of abuse mainly because they produce euphoria. Chronic use of opiates results in the development of tolerance and dependence. Dr Marshall Nirenberg's group at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was the first to use a cellular model system of Neuroblastoma × Glioma hybrid cells (NG108-15) to study morphine addiction. They showed that opiates affect adenylyl cyclase (AC) by two opposing mechanisms mediated by the opiate receptor. Although the cellular mechanisms that cause addiction are not yet completely understood, the most observed correlative biochemical adaptation is the upregulation of AC. This model also provides the opportunity to look for compounds which could dissociate the acute effect of opiates from the delayed response, upregulation of AC, and thus lead to the discovery of non-addictive drugs. To identify small molecule compounds that can inhibit morphine-induced cAMP overshoot, we have validated and optimized a cell-based assay in a high throughput format that measures cellular cAMP production after morphine withdrawal. The assay performed well in the 1536-well plate format. The LOPAC library of 1,280 compounds was screened in this assay on a quantitative high-throughput screening (qHTS) platform. A group of compounds that can inhibit morphine-induced cAMP overshoot were identified. The most potent compounds are eight naloxone-related compounds, including levallorphan tartrate, naloxonazine dihydrochloride, naloxone hydrochloride, naltrexone hydrochloride, and naltriben methanesulfonate. The qHTS approach we used in this study will be useful in identifying novel inhibitors of morphine induced addiction from a larger scale screening.

The effects of intrathecal morphine and naltrexone on autotomy in sciatic nerve sectioned rats

Rats were implanted with an intrathecal catheter aimed at the lumbar enlargement (LE). Morphine hydrochloride (240 micrograms/day) was infused continuously on the spinal cord for 14 days with an osmotic minipump delivering 0.5 microliter/h solution or a bolus dose of naltrexone (37.5, 75 or 150 micrograms) was injected intrathecally. Intrathecally infused morphine delivered on the dorsum of the LE induced analgesia, as tested on the hot plate, whereas normal saline was without effect. Naltrexone caused hyperalgesia revealed as decreased threshold for vocalization to electrical stimulation of the tail. Rats with unilaterally sectioned sciatic nerves that were continuously infused with morphine on the dorsum of the LE autotomized significantly less than saline controls. Nerve sectioned rats injected with naltrexone had an overall level of autotomy similar to saline controls. However, autotomy had a somewhat earlier onset and was more severe with naltrexone than with saline. It is therefore concluded that intrathecal infusion of opiates specifically reduces autotomy, a behavior that may occur as a result of chronic discomfort or pain following nerve injury. Furthermore, the endogenous opiate system at the spinal level may be involved in the control of autotomy.

Endogenous opiates: 1981

This paper is the fourth of an annual series reviewing the research concerning the endogenous opiate peptides. This installment covers only work published during 1981 and attempts to provide a comprehensive, but not exhaustive, survey of the area. Previous papers in the series have dealt with research done before 1981. Topics concerning endogenous opiates reviewed here include a delineation of their receptors, their distribution, their precursors and degradation, behavioral effects resulting from their administration, their possible involvement in physiological responses, and their interactions with other peptides and hormones. Due to the burgeoning literature in this field, the comprehensive nature of this review in the future will be limited to considerations of behavioral phenomena related to the endogenous opiates.