title: Kappa-opioid receptor-mediated effects of the plant-derived hallucinogen, salvinorin A, on inverted screen performance in the mouse.
abstract: Salvinorin A is a pharmacologically active diterpene that occurs naturally in the Mexican mint Ska Maria Pastora (Salvia divinorum) and represents the first naturally occurring kappa-opioid receptor agonist. The chemical structure of salvinorin A is novel among the opioids, and thus defines a new structural class of kappa-opioid-receptor selective drugs. Few studies have examined the effects of salvinorin A in vivo, and fewer still have attempted to assess the agonist actions of this compound at mu-opioid, delta-opioid, and kappa-opioid receptors using selective antagonists. In the mouse, salvinorin A disrupted climbing behavior on an inverted screen task, indicating a rapid, but short-lived induction of sedation/motor incoordination. Similar effects were observed with the mu-agonist remifentanil and the synthetic kappa-agonist U69,593. When behaviorally equivalent doses of all three opioids were challenged with antagonists at doses selective for mu-opioid, delta-opioid, or kappa-opioid receptors, results suggested that the motoric effects of remifentanil were mediated by mu-receptors, whereas those of salvinorin A and U69,593 were mediated via kappa-receptors. Despite similar potencies and degrees of effectiveness, salvinorin A and U69,593 differed with regard to their susceptibility to antagonism by the kappa-antagonist nor-binaltorphamine. This later finding, coupled with the novel chemical structure of the compound, is consistent with recent findings that the diterpene salvinorin A may bind to the kappa-receptor in a manner that is qualitatively different from that of more traditional kappa-agonists such as the benzeneacetamide U69,593. Such pharmacological differences among these kappa-opioids raise the possibility that the development of other diterpene-based opioids may yield important therapeutic compounds.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA. wfanteg@emory.edu
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Fantegrossi
authors.forename: Kelly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kugle
authors.forename: Leander J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Valdes
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koreeda
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Woods
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D044482:Benzeneacetamides / Q000494:pharmacology; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045785:Diterpenes, Clerodane; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011759:Pyrrolidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa / Q000819:agonists* / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000077208:Remifentanil
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D044482:Benzeneacetamides; D004224:Diterpenes; D045785:Diterpenes, Clerodane; D006213:Hallucinogens; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D010880:Piperidines; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D011759:Pyrrolidines; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta; D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D009270:Naloxone; C051844:norbinaltorphimine; D009271:Naltrexone; C055382:naltrindole; C045444:U 69593; D000077208:Remifentanil; C090499:salvinorin A