Pharmacology of morphine and morphine-3-glucuronide at opioid, excitatory amino acid, GABA and glycine binding sites.
Morphine in high doses and its major metabolite, morphine-3-glucuronide, cause CNS excitation following intrathecal and intracerebroventricular administration by an unknown mechanism. This study investigated whether morphine and morphine-3-glucuronide interact at major excitatory (glutamate), major inhibitory (GABA or glycine), or opioid binding sites. Homogenate binding assays were performed using specific radioligands. At opioid receptors, morphine-3-glucuronide and morphine caused an equipotent sodium shift, consistent with morphine-3-glucuronide behaving as an agonist. This suggests that morphine-3-glucuronide-mediated excitation is not caused by an interaction at opioid receptors. Morphine-3-glucuronide and morphine caused a weak inhibition of the binding of 3H-MK801 (non-competitive antagonist) and 125I-ifenprodil (polyamine site antagonist), but at unphysiologically high concentrations. This suggests that CNS excitation would not result from an interaction of morphine-3-glucuronide and high-dose morphine with these sites on the NMDA receptor. Morphine-3-glucuronide and morphine inhibited the binding of 3H-muscimol (GABA receptor agonist). 3H-diazepam and 3H-flunitrazepam (benzodiazepine agonists) binding very weakly, suggesting the excitatory effects of morphine-3-glucuronide and high-dose morphine are not elicited through GABAA receptors. Morphine-3-glucuronide and high-dose morphine did not prevent re-uptake of glutamate into presynaptic nerve terminals. In addition, morphine-3-glucuronide and morphine did not inhibit the binding of 3H-strychnine (glycine receptor antagonist) to synaptic membranes prepared from bovine spinal cord. It is concluded that excitation caused by high-dose morphine and morphine-3-glucuronide is not mediated by an interaction with postsynaptic amino acid receptors.
Department of Pharmacy, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
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Bartlett
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PR
Dodd
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Smith
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009022:Morphine Derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017459:Receptors, Amino Acid / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018079:Receptors, GABA / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018009:Receptors, Glycine / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
D009022:Morphine Derivatives; D017459:Receptors, Amino Acid; D018079:Receptors, GABA; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D018009:Receptors, Glycine; D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D009020:Morphine; C018108:morphine-3-glucuronide