title: Involvement of mu(1)-opioid receptors and cholinergic neurotransmission in the endomorphins-induced impairment of passive avoidance learning in mice.
abstract: The effects of naloxonazine, a mu(1)-opioid receptor antagonist, and physostigmine, a cholinesterase inhibitor, on the endomorphins-induced impairment of passive avoidance learning were investigated in mice. Endomorphin-1 (10 microg) and endomorphin-2 (10 microg) significantly impaired passive avoidance learning, while naloxonazine (35 mg/kg, s.c.), a mu(1)-opioid receptor antagonist, which alone failed to influence passive avoidance learning significantly inhibited the endomorphin-1 (10 microg)- but not endomorphin-2 (10 microg)-induced disturbance of such learning. A rather nonselective higher dose (50 mg/kg, s.c.) of naloxonazine almost completely antagonized the endomorphin-1 (10 microg)- and endomorphin-2 (10 microg)-induced impairment of passive avoidance learning. In contrast, physostigmine (0.025 and 0.05 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reversed the endomorphin-1 (10 microg)- and endomorphin-2 (10 microg)-induced disturbance of passive avoidance learning, whereas physostigmine (0.025 and 0.05 mg/kg, i.p.) alone did not influence such learning. These results suggest that endomorphin-1 but not endomorphin-2 impairs learning and memory resulting from cholinergic dysfunction, and from activation of mu(1)-opioid receptors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan. ukai@meijo-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ukai
authors.forename: Hui Ping
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D009270:Naloxone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010830:Physostigmine / Q000494:pharmacology; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009842:Oligopeptides; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; C105293:endomorphin 1; D009270:Naloxone; C105294:endomorphin 2; C034643:naloxonazine; D010830:Physostigmine