title: Alteration of the interaction of mu-opioid receptor and G protein after chronic PL017 treatment in rats.
abstract: Alteration in ligand-receptor interaction during chronic drug treatment has been suggested as a possible mechanism underlying opioid tolerance. However, our previous studies found that chronic PL017 (a selective mu-opioid agonist) treatment of adult animals resulted in down regulation of mu opioid receptor levels only after 5 days of PL017 treatment although tolerance had significantly developed after 3 days of PL017 treatment. Since G protein seems to be involved in regulation of opioid receptors, we suspect that opioid receptor-G protein interaction may be altered after chronic PL017 treatment before down-regulation of opioid receptors occurrs. Our investigation proceeded first, by measuring the ability of Gpp(NH)p to alter mu-opioid agonist: [3H]DAMGO binding; and second, by measuring the opioid agonist-stimulated GTPase activity before and after chronic PL017 treatment for 1 or 3 days when tolerance has developed but without down-regulation. We found that after 1 day and 3 days of PL017 treatment, rats produced 1.9 and 7.4 fold degree of tolerance. In receptor binding assay, we found the Bmax values did not show significant difference before and after chronic PL017 treatment. On the other hand, 10 microM Gpp(NH)p (a stable GTP analogue) significantly increased the Kd of the control midbrain by 2.59 +/- 0.21 fold but only increased the Kd by 1.92 +/- 0.11 fold after 3 days of PL017 treatment. Furthermore, the EC50 and maximal effect of DAMGO on stimulating low Km GTPase activity for control midbrain are 1.2 +/- 0.3 10(-8) M and 21.7 +/- 0.6%, respectively; in the experimental group, after 3 days PL017 treatment, the EC50 has increased to 7.3 +/- 2.7 x 10(-8) M and maximal stimulation decreased to 16.6 +/- 1.1%. The present findings indicate that after 3 days chronic PL017 treatment: (1) The effect of Gpp(NH)p on the affinity of mu-opioid receptor and DAMGO has been diminished. (2) The effect of DAMGO on stimulating low Km GTPase activity of G protein has been decreased. Therefore, it seems that the interaction between opioid receptor and G protein has been altered after chronic PL017 treatment. This phenomenum happens before down-regulation, and it may be one of the mechanisms for opioid tolerance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Lue
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D004723:Endorphins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020875:Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006150:Guanine Nucleotides / Q000494:pharmacology; D006165:Guanylyl Imidodiphosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000187:drug effects; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D004723:Endorphins; D004745:Enkephalins; D006150:Guanine Nucleotides; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D020875:Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-; D006165:Guanylyl Imidodiphosphate; C044708:morphiceptin, N-Me-Phe(3)-; D020558:GTP Phosphohydrolases; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins