naloxazone and bremazocine

Receptor binding experiments with masking of mu- and delta-receptors in the presence of an excess of unlabelled dihydromorphine and [D-Ala2, D-Leu5]enkephalin have been carried out. They indicate that 12 to 17% of original high affinity binding of [3H]Mr 2034 [-)(1R,5R,9R,2"S)-5,9-dimethyl-2-tetrahydrofurfuryl-2'-hydroxy-6, 7-benzomorphan hydrochloride), an opioid kappa-agonist, could then be detected as kappa-receptor sites in brain membranes both from untreated rats and from rats pretreated with naloxazone, too. Because of the irreversible blockade of the high affinity binding sites by naloxazone (naloxone hydrazone) treatment, the masking effects of mu- and delta-selective ligands seem to be mediated by the low affinity binding sites of these opioid receptor types. As could be shown before with [3H]Mr 2034, another kappa-agonist, [3H]bremazocine does not seem to be affected in its binding properties by naloxazone treatment of the rat in vivo. Displacement studies with several opioid agonists and antagonists, [3H]Mr 2034 and [3H]ethylketocyclazocine as radioligands in brain membranes from naloxazone treated rats and untreated controls provided further support for the evidence of two different kappa-receptors.

Topics: Animals; Benzomorphans; Binding, Competitive; Cyclazocine; Dihydromorphine; Enkephalin, Leucine; Enkephalin, Leucine-2-Alanine; Ethylketocyclazocine; In Vitro Techniques; Kinetics; Male; Morphinans; Naloxone; Rats; Receptors, Opioid; Receptors, Opioid, kappa