title: Antinociception produced by 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid is mediated by the activation of beta-endorphin and met-enkephalin in the rat ventrolateral periaqueductal gray.
abstract: Cytochrome P450 genes catalyze formation of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) from arachidonic acid. The effects of 5,6-EET, 8,9-EET, 11,12-EET, and 14,15-EET microinjected into the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) on the thermally produced tail-flick response were studied in male Sprague-Dawley rats. 14,15-EET microinjected into vlPAG (3-156 pmol) dose-dependently inhibited the tail-flick response (ED50 = 32.5 pmol). In contrast, 5,6-EET, 8,9-EET, and 11,12-EET at a dose of 156 pmol were not active when injected into the vlPAG. 14,15-EET failed to displace the radiobinding of [3H][D-Ala2,NHPe4, Gly-ol5]enkephalin (mu-opioid receptor ligand) or [3H]naltrindole (delta-opioid receptor ligand) in crude membrane fractions of rat brain. Tail-flick inhibition produced by 14,15-EET from vlPAG was blocked by intra-vlPAG pretreatment with antiserum against beta-endorphin or Met-enkephalin or the mu-opioid receptor antagonist D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Orn-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH2 (CTOP) or the delta-opioid receptor antagonist naltrindole but not with dynorphin A[1-17] antiserum or the kappa-opioid receptor antagonist nor-binaltorphimine. In addition, tail-flick inhibition produced by 14,15-EET treatment was blocked by intrathecal pretreatment with Met-enkephalin antiserum, naltrindole, or CTOP but not with beta-endorphin antiserum. It is concluded that 1) 14,15-EET itself does not have any affinity for mu- or delta-opioid receptors and 2) 14,15-EET activates beta-endorphin and Met-enkephalin, which subsequently act on mu- and delta-opioid receptors to produce antinociception.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
authors.forename: Maia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Terashvili
authors.forename: Leon F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Hsiang-En
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jayashree
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Narayanan
authors.forename: Lucas M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Falck
authors.forename: Phillip F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Pratt
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Harder
mesh_terms: D015126:8,11,14-Eicosatrienoic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008845:Microinjections; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects; D010487:Periaqueductal Gray / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine; D001615:beta-Endorphin; C046782:14,15-epoxy-5,8,11-eicosatrienoic acid; D015126:8,11,14-Eicosatrienoic Acid