title: Potentiation of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol-induced analgesia by morphine in mice: involvement of mu- and kappa-opioid receptors.
abstract: The antinociceptive effect of peripheral delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol was examined in mice previously treated with an inactive dose of morphine. The ED50 of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol was significantly reduced by morphine, both in the tail-flick test (0.85 vs. 2.10 mg/kg) and in the hot-plate test (1.51 vs. 4.71 mg/kg and 0.73 vs. 2.47 mg/kg in jumping and paw-lick responses, respectively). The synergistic effect between morphine and delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol was partially blocked by the cannabinoid receptor antagonist, SR-141,716 A [(N-piperidino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(2,4-dichorophenyl)-4-methyl-3 -pyrazolecarboxamide, hydrochloride)], at a dose of 2 mg/kg (i.p.) as well as by the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone, at the dose of 1 mg/kg (s.c.). Such an effect was also blocked by i.t. nor-binaltorphimine (a kappa-selective opioid receptor antagonist) given at 20 micrograms/mouse as well as by beta-funaltrexamine (a mu-selective opioid receptor antagonist) at a dose of 2 nmol/mouse (i.c.v., 24 h before the test). Accordingly, the mu-opioid receptor agonist DAMGO ([D-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Gly-ol5]enkephalin) potentiated the effect of delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol. These data show that the synergism between morphine and delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol appears to involve cannabinoid as well as mu-supraspinal and kappa-spinal opioid receptors.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Reche
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Fuentes
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Gayo
mesh_terms: D000698:Analgesia; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects; D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000187:drug effects*; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; C051844:norbinaltorphimine; D009271:Naltrexone; C024524:beta-funaltrexamine; D009020:Morphine; D013759:Dronabinol; C055382:naltrindole