title: Blockade of K+ contractures in skeletal muscle by opioid drugs: a nonstereospecific effect.
abstract: The effect of several opioid drugs was tested on the K+ contractures in frog's skeletal muscle. These contractures are produced by the entrance of extracellular Ca2+ ions via the voltage-dependent, slow Ca2+ channels located in the T tubules. Morphine and other opioid agonists in concentrations ranging from 10(-10) to 10(-5) M inhibited K+ contractures. The stereoisomers, dextrorphan and levorphanol, were found to have identical potency in inhibiting high K+ contractures, suggesting that this was a nonstereospecific blockade of voltage-dependent calcium channels by the opioid drugs despite the low effective drug concentrations. In agreement with this conclusion it was found that the inhibition of K+ contractures by the opioids was not antagonized by naloxone. It also was observed using a sucrose gap apparatus that these opioid drugs in concentrations used to block the high K+ contractures did not reduce the K+-induced membrane depolarization. Raising the bathing solution Ca2+ concentration from 1.08 to 5 mM produced a reversal of the opioid-induced block of K+ contractures. Finally it was shown that while opioids completely blocked K+ contractures, they did not produce any effect on caffeine contractures showing that opioids do not deplete intracellular Ca2+ stores or inhibit the release of Ca2+ from intracellular sarcoplasmic reticulum stores. It was concluded that several opioid drugs in very low concentrations block K+ contractures in frog's skeletal muscle by a nonstereospecific block of voltage-dependent slow calcium channels.
authors: Department of Pharmacology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors: T G
authors: TG
authors: Kokate
authors: G B
authors: GB
authors: Frank
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009132:Muscles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D009294:Narcotics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009467:Neuromuscular Depolarizing Agents; D011188:Potassium / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011894:Rana pipiens; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D009294:Narcotics; D009467:Neuromuscular Depolarizing Agents; D009270:Naloxone; D002110:Caffeine; D011188:Potassium