title: DAMGO inhibits prostaglandin E2-induced potentiation of a TTX-resistant Na+ current in rat sensory neurons in vitro.
abstract: We have tested the hypothesis that the mu-opioid agonist, [D-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Gly5-ol]enkephalin (DAMGO), inhibits prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)-induced modulation of a tetrodotoxin-resistant voltage-gated Na+ current (TTX-R INa) in putative nociceptors in vitro. Patch-clamp electrophysiological techniques were used on cultured dorsal root ganglion neurons from the adult rat. PGE2 (1 microM) induced a 103 +/- 22.8% increase in peak TTX-R INa. The PGE2-induced increase in TTX-R INa in the presence of 1 microM DAMGO (24.9 +/- 7.7%), was significantly less than that induced by PGE2 alone. In contrast, when DAMGO was applied after PGE2, PGE2-induced increase in TTX-R INa (85.3 +/- 19.6%) was not significantly different than the increase in the current induced by PGE2 alone. Preapplication of naloxone (10 microM) blocked DAMGO-induced inhibition of the PGE2-induced increase in TTX-R INa. DAMGO, alone, had no effect on peak TTX-R INa (1.4 +/- 1.5% of baseline). Our observation that DAMGO prevents PGE2-induced potentiation of TTX-R INa is consistent with the suggestion that modulation of TTX-R INa underlies the hyperalgesic agent-induced increase in the excitability of nociceptors associated with sensitization and hyperalgesia. Furthermore, our data suggest that inhibition of hyperalgesic agent induced modulation of TTX-R INa may be a novel mechanism underlying opioid-induced antinociception.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, University of California, Los Angeles 90095-1778, USA.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gold
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Levine
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020875:Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000187:drug effects*; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D004745:Enkephalins; D015222:Sodium Channels; D020875:Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D015232:Dinoprostone