dizocilpine-maleate and resiniferatoxin

Opioids remain the mainstay of treatment for severe pain, but the associated hyperalgesia and tolerance are significant impediments to achieving adequate pain relief with opioids. Here we show that in the spinal cord, brief application of the mu-opioid receptor agonist (D-Ala(2),N-Me-Phe(4),Gly-ol(5))-enkephalin (DAMGO) at 1 mum, but not at 1-10 nm, caused an initial decrease followed by a large and long-lasting increase in the amplitude of monosynaptic EPSCs evoked from the dorsal root in approximately 50% of lamina I and II neurons. However, postsynaptic dialysis of the G-protein inhibitor had no effect on DAMGO-induced initial inhibition and long-term potentiation (LTP) in either lamina I or II neurons. DAMGO-induced LTP was associated with an increase in the paired-pulse depression ratio. Furthermore, DAMGO application and washout induced an initial decrease followed by a persistent increase in the frequency of miniature EPSCs. Bath application, but not postsynaptic dialysis, of an NMDA receptor antagonist or a calcium chelator abolished DAMGO-induced LTP. Strikingly, ablation of TRPV1-expressing primary afferents not only eliminated DAMGO-induced LTP but also prolonged DAMGO-induced inhibition of the miniature and evoked EPSCs (i.e., long-term depression). Thus, our study strongly suggests that TRPV1-expressing primary afferents play a prominent role in opioid-induced presynaptic LTP, which challenges a previous report suggesting the postsynaptic nature of this opioid-induced LTP. This excitatory effect of opioids on primary afferents can counteract the inhibitory effect of opioids on synaptic transmission at the spinal level and is likely involved in opioid-induced hyperalgesia and tolerance.

Topics: Analgesics, Opioid; Animals; Biophysics; Calcium; Chelating Agents; Diterpenes; Dizocilpine Maleate; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Egtazic Acid; Electric Stimulation; Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials; Guanosine Diphosphate; In Vitro Techniques; Lectins; Long-Term Potentiation; Male; Neurons; Patch-Clamp Techniques; Presynaptic Terminals; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Spinal Cord; Thionucleotides; TRPV Cation Channels; Valine

Nocifensive behaviors induced by the intradermal injection of three different P2X receptor agonists, ATP, BzATP or alpha,beta-meATP, into a hindpaw were measured in rats that were injected intrathecally with either an NMDA (MK-801) or an NK-1 (L-703,606) receptor antagonist or were pretreated systemically with the VR1 agonist resiniferatoxin (RTX). The same procedures were performed in animals injected intradermally with either capsaicin or formalin. Spinal infusion of MK-801 (10-50 nmol/10 micro l) similarly reduced the number of nociceptive events triggered by each of the P2X agonists and was also effective against capsaicin and formalin induced behaviors. Intrathecal administration of L-703,606 (50-100 nmol/10 micro l) had its greatest antinociceptive effect against capsaicin-induced behaviors followed by ATP and BzATP. L-703,606 was completely ineffective against behaviors induced by formalin or the other P2X agonist, alpha,beta-meATP. Pretreatment with RTX 2 days prior to testing significantly decreased the number of nociceptive events caused by each of the P2X agonists as well as capsaicin and formalin (capsaicin>BzATP>ATP>formalin>alpha,beta-meATP). The remaining nociceptive events in RTX animals injected with alpha,beta-meATP were significantly higher than in animals injected with either ATP or BzATP. Intradermal administration of different P2X receptor agonists induced similar levels of nocifensive behaviors and activity at spinal NMDA receptors. Capsaicin-sensitive fibers were likely activated following injection of BzATP and ATP, but not alpha,beta-meATP, and appeared to trigger the spinal release of substance P. The differences in mechanisms employed by the different P2X agonists may be a function of respective selectivity for P2X receptor subtypes.

Topics: Animals; Diterpenes; Dizocilpine Maleate; Hindlimb; Injections, Intradermal; Injections, Spinal; Male; Pain Measurement; Purinergic P2 Receptor Agonists; Quinuclidines; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptors, Purinergic P2; Receptors, Purinergic P2X