title: Delta- and kappa-opioid receptors in the caudal midline medulla mediate haemorrhage-evoked hypotension.
abstract: In mammals blood loss can trigger, shock, an abrupt, life-threatening hypotension and bradycardia. In the halothane-anaesthetised rat this response is blocked by inactivation of a discrete, vasodepressor area in the caudal midline medulla (CMM). Haemorrhagic shock is blocked also by systemic or ventricular injections of the opioid antagonist, naloxone. This study investigated, in the halothane anaesthetised rat, the contribution of delta-, kappa- and mu-opioid receptors in the CMM vasodepressor region to haemorrhage-evoked shock (i.e. hypotension and bradycardia) and its recovery. It was found that microinjections into the CMM of the delta-opioid receptor antagonist, naltrindole delayed and attenuated the hypotension and bradycardia evoked by haemorrhage, but did not promote recompensation. In contrast, CMM microinjections of the kappa-opioid receptor antagonist, nor-binaltorphamine, although it did not alter haemorrhage-evoked hypotension and bradycardia, did lead to a rapid restoration of AP, but not HR. CMM microinjections of the mu-opioid receptor antagonist, CTAP had no effect on haemorrhage-evoked shock or recompensation. These data indicate that delta- and kappa- (but not mu-) opioid receptor-mediated events within the CMM contribute to the hypotension and bradycardia evoked by haemorrhage and the effectiveness of naloxone in reversing shock.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Histology, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia 2006.
authors.forename: Luke A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: Kevin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Keay
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bandler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007022:Hypotension / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology*; D012771:Shock, Hemorrhagic / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta; D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa