Morphine sulfate stimulates the adenylate cyclase in mouse caudate nuclei

Purine involvement in morphine antinociception

The effects of a series of adenosine derivatives on morphine antinoceptive effect were investigated in rats by the 'tail-flick' method. 2-Chloroadenosine (CADO) and L-N6-phenylisopropyladenosine (L-PIA), given intraperitoneally, caused decreased morphine antinociception. Intracerebroventricular injections of CADO, L-PIA and 5'-N-ethylcarboxamide adenosine (NECA), but not of 2'-deoxyadenosine, antagonized morphine antinociception. The effects of both central and peripheral injections of CADO and L-PIA on morphine antinociception were partially reversed by caffeine. Intracerebroventricular injection of dibutyryl-cyclic 3', 5' adenosine monophosphate (db cyclic AMP) had no effect on morphine antinociception. These data indicate that adenosine plays a role in morphine-induced antinociception. The results are discussed in terms of postulated effects of adenosine derivatives on adenylate cyclase.

Demonstration and characterization of opiate inhibition of the striatal adenylate cyclase

The conditions in which Leu(5)-enkephalin inhibition of striatal adenylate cyclase was observed were defined. It was determined that enkephalin inhibition was dependent on GTP. The apparent K(m) for GTP in opiate inhibition was determined to be 0.5 and 2 micrometer when 0.1 mM- and 0.5 mM-ATP were used as substrate. ITP, but not CTP or UTP, could substitute for GTP in the reaction. Though the addition of monovalent cations-Na+, K+, Li+, Cs+, and choline+--stimulated striatal adenylate cyclase activity, enkephalin inhibition of striatal adenylate cyclase did not require Na+ when theophylline was used as the phosphodiesterase inhibitor. Under optimal conditions, i.e., 20 micrometer-GTP and 100 mM-Na+, Leu(5)-enkephalin inhibited the strial adenylate cyclase activity by 23-27%. When the enkephalin regulation of the cyclase activity was further characterized, it was observed that Leu(5)-enkephalin inhibited the rate of the enzymatic reaction. Kinetic analysis revealed that the opioid peptide decreases V (max) values but not the K(m) values for the substrates Mg2+ and Mg-ATP. Agents such as MnCl(2), NaF, and guanyl-5'-ylimido-diphosphate, which directly activated the adenylate cyclase, antagonized the opiate inhibition. Levorphanol and (-)naloxone were more potent than dextrorphan and (+) naloxone in inhibiting adenylate cyclase and in reversing the enkephalin inhibition, respectively. There were differences in the potencies of various opiate peptides in their inhibition of striatal adenylate cyclase activity, with Met5- > Leu(5)-enkephalin > beta-endorphin. The opiate receptor through which the enkephalin inhibition was observed is most likely delta in nature, since in the presence of either Na+ or K+, the magnitude of the alkaloid inhibition was reduced, whereas the peptide inhibition was either potentiated or not affected.