delta-, but not mu- and kappa-, opioid receptor activation protects neocortical neurons from glutamate-induced excitotoxic injury.
Recent observations from our laboratory have led us to hypothesize that delta-opioid receptors may play a role in neuronal protection against hypoxic/ischemic or glutamate excitotocity. To test our hypothesis in this work, we used two independent methods, i.e., "same field quantification" of morphologic criteria and a biochemical assay of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release (an index of cellular injury). We used neuronal cultures from rat neocortex and studied whether (1) glutamate induces neuronal injury as a function of age and (2) activation of opioid receptors (delta, mu and kappa subtypes) protects neurons from glutamate-induced injury. Our results show that glutamate induced neuronal injury and cell death and this was dependent on glutamate concentration, exposure period and days in culture. At 4 days, glutamate (up to 10 mM, 4 h-exposure) did not cause apparent injury. After 8-10 days in culture, neurons exposed to a much lower dose of glutamate (100 microM, 4 h) showed substantial neuronal injury as assessed by morphologic criteria (>65%, n=23, P<0.01) and LDH release (n=16, P<0. 001). Activation of delta-opioid receptors with 10 microM DADLE reduced glutamate-induced injury by almost half as assessed by the same criteria (morphologic criteria, n=21, P<0.01; LDH release, n=16, P<0.01). Naltrindole (10 microM), a delta-opioid receptor antagonist, completely blocked the DADLE protective effect. Administration of mu- and kappa-opioid receptor agonists (DAMGO and U50488H respectively, 5-10 microM) did not induce appreciable neuroprotection. Also, mu- or kappa-opioid receptor antagonists had no appreciable effect on the glutamate-induced injury. This study demonstrates that activation of neuronal delta-opioid receptors, but not mu- and kappa-opioid receptors, protect neocortical neurons from glutamate excitotoxicity.
Zhang
J
J
Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, LMP 3107, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Haddad
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GG
Xia
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D019900:3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide, (trans)-Isomer / Q000494:pharmacology; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019610:Cytoprotection / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D020875:Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)- / Q000494:pharmacology; D016308:Enkephalin, Leucine-2-Alanine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D019579:Neocortex; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta; D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D020875:Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D009271:Naltrexone; D016308:Enkephalin, Leucine-2-Alanine; D019900:3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide, (trans)-Isomer; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; C055382:naltrindole