ketazocine and bremazocine

Evidence from studies which utilise either opiate receptor agonists and antagonists strongly indicate a role for endorphinergic mechanisms in the control of feeding responses. Two means by which these compounds may exert an effect on feeding can be singled-out. Firstly, emerging evidence suggests that the process of achieving satiety (terminating a meal, or choice of a commodity) may be accelerated following treatments with opiate receptor antagonists. Secondly, the preference for highly palatable solutions (sweet solutions have received most attention) in two-bottle tests is blocked after injection of opiate receptor antagonists. This finding has been interpreted in terms of the abolition of the reward or incentive quality associated with the particularly attractive flavour. These two mechanisms of action may represent two aspects of a single, fundamental process. Following an introduction to rat urination model of in vivo kappa agonist activity, the consistent effect of several kappa agonists (including the highly selective U-50,488H) to stimulate food consumption is described. Recognising that members of the dynorphin group of endogenous opioid peptides are kappa receptor ligands, some with a high degree of selectivity, and the evidence the dynorphins and neo-endorphins produce hyperphagia in rats is particularly interesting. Such lines of evidence lead to the hypothesis that peptides of the dynorphin group may act endogenously to promote the expression of normal feeding behaviour.

Topics: 3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide, (trans)-Isomer; Analgesics; Animals; Benzodiazepines; Benzomorphans; Butorphanol; Choice Behavior; Cyclazocine; Diuresis; Drinking; Dynorphins; Eating; Endorphins; Ethylketocyclazocine; Humans; Morphine; Narcotic Antagonists; Phenazocine; Pyrrolidines; Receptors, Opioid; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Satiety Response

The effects of several mu and kappa opioid agonists were examined alone and in combination with the opioid antagonist quadazocine in squirrel monkeys responding under a schedule of shock titration. Under this procedure, shock was scheduled to increase once every 15 sec from 0.01 to 2.0 mA in 30 steps. Five responses on a lever during the 15-sec shock period terminated the shock for 15 sec, after which the shock resumed at the next lower intensity. The intensity below which the monkeys maintained the shock 50% of the time (median shock level) and the rate of responding in the presence of shock were determined under control conditions and after administration of the mu agonists, l-methadone and fentanyl and the kappa agonists, bremazocine, ethylketocyclazocine, ketocyclazocine and U50,488. When examined alone, intermediate doses of mu and kappa agonists increased median shock level. At the highest doses of these compounds responding was eliminated and shock rose to its peak intensity. When the mu and kappa agonists were examined in combination with quadazocine, dose-effect curves for median shock level and for rate of responding were shifted to the right in a dose-dependent fashion. A comparison of the pA2 values for quadazocine on median shock level and on rate of responding revealed similar values for the two measures; however, pA2 values differed depending on the agonist examined. That is, the pA2 values for quadazocine in combination with l-methadone and fentanyl on median shock level were 7.43 and 7.61, respectively; whereas the pA2 value for quadazocine in combination with bremazocine and U50,488 were 6.53 and 6.43, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: 3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide, (trans)-Isomer; Analgesia; Animals; Azocines; Benzomorphans; Cyclazocine; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ethylketocyclazocine; Fentanyl; Male; Methadone; Narcotic Antagonists; Pyrrolidines; Receptors, Opioid; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Receptors, Opioid, mu; Saimiri

Marked diuresis has previously been reported after administration of kappa opioid agonists. The present study shows that this effect is stereospecific; MR-2034 markedly increased urinary output over the dose range 0.08 to 1.25 mg/kg, whereas the opposite isomer, MR-2035, was markedly less potent. Bremazocine increased urinary output in Long-Evans hooded and Sprague-Dawley albino rats as well as lean and fatty Zucker rats. In the lean Zucker and the albino rats, bremazocine produced an inverted U-shaped diuretic dose-effect curve, an effect characteristic of kappa agonists with mu agonist activity. This pattern was not seen with the fatty Zucker rats or the Long-Evans hooded rats. The full kappa agonists bremazocine, ethylketazocine and U-50,488 increased urinary output under three different conditions of hydration: water loaded, normal hydration and water deprived. In contrast, the partial kappa agonists reliably only increase urinary output under the normal hydration condition. The diuretic effects of full and partial kappa agonists correlated with plasma vasopressin levels in water-deprived rats. The full kappa agonists (ethylketazocine, U-50,488, tifluadom and MR-2034) suppressed plasma vasopressin levels below the threshold of detectability of the radioimmunoassay, whereas the partial kappa agonists (nalorphine and butorphanol) suppressed vasopressin levels compared with control values but did not have the efficacy of the full kappa agonists. All these results support the hypothesis that kappa agonists produce their diuretic effect by suppression of plasma vasopressin levels.

Topics: 3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide, (trans)-Isomer; Animals; Benzomorphans; Butorphanol; Cyclazocine; Diuresis; Drinking; Ethylketocyclazocine; Female; Male; Nalorphine; Pyrrolidines; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Rats, Zucker; Receptors, Opioid; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Stereoisomerism; Vasopressins; Water Deprivation

The effects of several opioid agonists and the opioid antagonist naloxone were examined in rats responding under a fixed-consecutive-number (FCN) schedule. Under this schedule, a reinforced response run consisted of responding eight or more times on one response lever, and then responding once on a second response lever. In one component of this schedule, an external discriminative stimulus signalled the completion of the response requirement on the first lever, whereas no stimulus change was programmed in the other. Morphine, l-methadone, U50488, ketocyclazocine, phencyclidine, and (+/-)N-allylnormetazocine decreased the percent of reinforced response runs (accuracy) under the FCN schedule without the external discriminative stimulus, but had no effect under the FCN schedule with the external discriminative stimulus. Naloxone and bremazocine, in contrast, had no effect on the accuracy of the discrimination under either FCN schedule. With the exception of bremazocine and U50488, which increased rates of responding at low doses, all drugs produced comparable decreases in rates of responding under both FCN schedules. During tests of antagonism, a 0.1 mg/kg dose of naloxone reversed completely the accuracy-decreasing effects produced by U50488 and morphine. The rate-decreasing effects of morphine and U50488 were reversed completely by a 0.01 and 1.0 mg/kg dose of naloxone, respectively. These results suggest that the addition of an external discriminative stimulus can modulate the disruptive effects of opioids, and that mu, sigma and some kappa agonists produce similar effects when evaluated under the FCN schedules.

Topics: 3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide, (trans)-Isomer; Animals; Benzomorphans; Conditioning, Operant; Cyclazocine; Discrimination Learning; Ethylketocyclazocine; Male; Methadone; Morphine; Naloxone; Narcotics; Phenazocine; Pyrrolidines; Rats; Reinforcement Schedule

The purpose of this study was to investigate further the kappa opioid receptor selectivity of the field-stimulated isolated rabbit vas deferens preparation and to study the profile of a series of kappa agonists in this tissue. Agonists acting at mu, delta and sigma receptors were without detectable effect in the rabbit vas deferens. But a number of kappa agonists, including bremazocine, tifluadom, ethylketocyclazocine, ketocyclazocine, U-50,488 and Win 42,610 all depressed contractions, producing parallel dose-response curves. Mr 2034 generally produced a shallower dose-response curve and achieved a lower maximum effect, thus acting like a partial agonist. The effect of ethylketocyclazocine was not reduced by the irreversible mu antagonist, beta-funaltrexamine, confirming that it is not acting via mu receptors. Another group of drugs, including nalorphine, butorphanol and proxorphan, which produce an agonist action via kappa receptors in the guinea-pig ileum and mouse vas deferens, were antagonists in the rabbit vas deferens, suggesting that this tissue will only respond to high efficacy kappa agonists.

Topics: 3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide, (trans)-Isomer; Analgesics; Animals; Benzodiazepines; Benzomorphans; Butorphanol; Cyclazocine; Ethylketocyclazocine; In Vitro Techniques; Male; Muscle Contraction; Muscle, Smooth; Nalorphine; Naloxone; Pyrrolidines; Rabbits; Receptors, Opioid; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Receptors, Opioid, mu; Vas Deferens

Several opioid antagonists have previously been shown to decrease drinking. The data have suggested that this was due to an antagonist action at kappa opioid receptors rather than mu or delta opioid receptors. Kappa agonists have a marked diuretic effect through suppression of vasopressin release. Antagonism of this kappa receptor-mediated effect can be used as an in vivo test for determining kappa-receptor antagonist activity. The potencies of opioid antagonists for antagonizing the diuretic effects of the kappa agonist bremazocine do not correlate directly with the potencies for decreasing deprivation-induced drinking. Further work should investigate the receptor specificity for effects on drinking and kappa-mediated diuresis.

Topics: 3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide, (trans)-Isomer; Animals; Benzodiazepines; Benzomorphans; Butorphanol; Clonidine; Cyclazocine; Drinking; Ethylketocyclazocine; Naloxone; Pyrrolidines; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Receptors, Opioid; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Urination; Vasopressins

Topics: Animals; Benzomorphans; Cyclazocine; Diuresis; Ethylketocyclazocine; Naltrexone; Narcotics; Rats; Receptors, Opioid; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Receptors, Opioid, mu

Several 'so-called' kappa-opiate receptor agonists e.g., ketocyclazocine (Kc), ethylketocyclazocine (Ekc), bremazocine, MR-2034 and U-50488H, were tested on basilar and middle cerebral arteries of the dog in vitro for relaxant or contractile activities. Ekc, Kc and bremazocine were found to produce concentration-dependent reductions in basal tone and to relax cerebral arteries contracted with prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha). All three agonists appear to act on benzomorphan-kappa opiate receptors which subserve relaxation in cerebral blood vessels. MR-2034 and U-50488H were found to induce contraction in the cerebral arteries. These opiate agonists appear to act on phencyclidine (PCP) or sigma-opiate receptors which subserve contraction. A variety of pharmacological antagonists (phentolamine, propranolol, methysergide, atropine, diphenhydramine, cimetidine, naloxone) did not modify any of the cerebral vascular effects produced by the opiates. These results suggest: (1) specific benzomorphan-kappa opiate receptors which subserve relaxation exist in cerebral blood vessels; (2) some kappa agonists appear to produce, primarily, contraction in cerebral vessels via PCP or sigma-opiate receptors: and cerebral vascular muscle may provide a useful tool to analyse the molecular constitution of these two distinct and opposite-acting opiate receptors.

Topics: 3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide, (trans)-Isomer; Animals; Benzomorphans; Cerebral Arteries; Cyclazocine; Dinoprost; Dogs; Drug Interactions; Ethylketocyclazocine; Female; In Vitro Techniques; Male; Muscle Relaxation; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular; Phencyclidine; Prostaglandins F; Pyrrolidines; Receptors, Opioid; Receptors, Opioid, kappa

The hypothesis that the nociceptive state and opiate-induced antinociception are generally regulated by Ca2+ brain levels has been tested. In this context, the effects of intracerebroventricular injections of CaCl2 (0.1-0.5 mumol), D600 (5.0-10.0 micrograms) and EGTA (0.5-1.0 mumol) on ethylketocyclazocine (EKC), ketocyclazocine (KC), Mr-2033, pentazocine (PTC), bremazocine (BMC) and SKF 10,047-induced antinociception were investigated in the mouse tail immersion test. Simultaneous treatment with either D600 or EGTA resulted in a significant and dose-related enhancement in the activities of the kappa-agonists: EKC, KC and Mr-2033, whilst the activities of PTC, BMC and SKF 10,047 remained unchanged. CaCl2 readily blocked the activities of all benzomorphans tested except that of SKF 10,047 against which CaCl2 was less effective. In addition a dose-related hyperalgesia was observed when CaCl2 was given alone. Although the results obtained from the kappa-agonists and CaCl2 per se support the hypothesis in question, data obtained from PTC, BMC and SKF 10,047 tends to oppose it. Additionally the present results taken together indirectly substantiate the notion that benzomorphan-induced analgesia may involve different opiate-sensitive neuronal substrates.

Topics: Analgesia; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Animals; Benzomorphans; Calcium; Calcium Channel Blockers; Cyclazocine; Egtazic Acid; Ethylketocyclazocine; Gallopamil; Male; Mice; Morphinans; Pentazocine; Phenazocine

The effects of various opioid agonists and antagonists on urination were studied in the normally hydrated rat. Two kappa agonists, U-50,488H and proxorphan, markedly increased urination. The increased urination produced by U-50,488H was antagonized by opioid antagonists in a potency order which indicated that the effects were due to an action at kappa opioid receptors. Mu agonists decreased urination and were blocked by low doses (0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg) of naloxone, whereas kappa agonists increased urination and were only blocked by a high dose (10 mg/kg) of naloxone. The diuretic effects of U-50,488H and ketazocine, but not proxorphan and bremazocine, were reduced by morphine, consistent with the idea that proxorphan and bremazocine have morphine antagonist activity. Water deprivation produced a shift to the right for the dose-effect curve for bremazocine-induced diuresis. Kappa agonists were ineffective in increasing urination in Brattleboro rats that were homozygous for diabetes insipidus, whereas mu agonists were still effective in decreasing urination. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that kappa agonists inhibit release of vasopressin from the neurohypophysis and this decrease in vasopressin release leads to increased urination. The effects of opioids on urination in the normally hydrated rat can be extremely useful in classifying the activities of opioid on mu and kappa receptors in vivo.

Topics: 3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide, (trans)-Isomer; Animals; Benzomorphans; Cyclazocine; Diuresis; Ethylketocyclazocine; Male; Morphinans; Naloxone; Narcotic Antagonists; Narcotics; Piperidines; Pyrrolidines; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Receptors, Opioid; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Receptors, Opioid, mu; Urination

The effects of various opioids (mu agonists, kappa agonists and mixed agonists/antagonists) were determined on urination in the normally dehydrated rat. Opioids considered as kappa agonists (bremazocine, ethylketazocine and ketazocine) produced a marked dose-related increase in urination. The mixed agonists/antagonists (cyclazocine, butorphanol and nalorphine) produced less urination than the kappa agonists, but more than the mu agonists (morphine and l-methadone). The mu agonists did not increase urine output compared with controls. The increased urination effect was blocked by opioid antagonists in a potency order which indicated that the effect was due to an action at a kappa opioid receptor. The data suggest the hypothesis that dynorphin, a kappa agonist, acts as an endogenous ligand for an autoreceptor which inhibits the corelease of dynorphin and antidiuretic hormone from the neurohypophysis. This decrease in antidiuretic hormone levels produces the increased urination. Increased urination is a simple in vivo test for studying the actions of compounds at kappa opioid receptors.

Topics: Animals; Benzomorphans; Clonidine; Cyclazocine; Diuretics; Ethylketocyclazocine; Male; Narcotic Antagonists; Narcotics; Phencyclidine; Rats; Receptors, Opioid; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Receptors, Opioid, mu

The intracerebroventricular injections in mice of the mu receptor agonists morphine and fentanyl induced an immobility state (the animals staying motionless with the head down on a 45 degree inclined plane) which was apparently hypertonic (catatonia ?) or at least enabled them to remain hanging on a horizontal wire with their forepaws. In similar conditions, injections of the kappa receptor agonists ketocyclazocine and bremazocine induced an immobility state which was hypotonic, in contrast with the preceding one. In a similar way to the mu agonists, Met-enkephalin or Leu-enkephalin injected i.c.v. in association with the inhibitor of enkephalinase thiorphan induced an apparently hypertonic immobility which was easily antagonized by naloxone. The association of thiorphan with bestatin (an inhibitor of aminopeptidases involved in enkephalins inactivation) produced similar results. In contrast, the hypotonic immobility induced by the kappa receptor agonists required relatively high doses of naloxone to be antagonized. The opiate antagonist MR 2266 antagonized equipotent doses of all the above mentioned agents with a similar efficacy. From these data it is suggested that enkephalins could induce an apparently tonic immobility by stimulating mu receptors and that endogenous enkephalins could be involved in a tonic mediation modulating the locomotor activity or regulating the muscular tone.

Topics: Animals; Benzomorphans; Catatonia; Cyclazocine; Enkephalins; Ethylketocyclazocine; Fentanyl; Humans; Immobilization; Injections, Intraventricular; Male; Mice; Morphine; Naloxone; Narcotic Antagonists; Narcotics

Topics: Analgesia; Animals; Benzomorphans; Brain; Cyclazocine; Electric Stimulation; Ethylketocyclazocine; Guinea Pigs; Ileum; Macaca mulatta; Male; Mice; Morphinans; Morphine; Naloxone; Pentazocine; Rats; Receptors, Opioid; Receptors, Opioid, kappa; Vas Deferens