title: Ultra-low dose naloxone restores the antinociceptive effect of morphine in pertussis toxin-treated rats by reversing the coupling of mu-opioid receptors from Gs-protein to coupling to Gi-protein.
abstract: Pertussis toxin (PTX) treatment results in ADP-ribosylation of Gi-protein and thus in disruption of mu-opioid receptor signal transduction and loss of the antinociceptive effect of morphine. We have previously demonstrated that pretreatment with ultra-low dose naloxone preserves the antinociceptive effect of morphine in PTX-treated rats. The present study further examined the effect of ultra-low dose naloxone on mu-opioid receptor signaling in PTX-treated rats and the underlying mechanism. Male Wistar rats implanted with an intrathecal catheter received an intrathecal injection of saline or PTX (1 microg in 5 microl of saline), then, 4 days later, were pretreated by intrathecal injection with either saline or ultra-low dose naloxone (15 ng in 5 microl of saline), followed, 30 min later, by saline or morphine (10 microg in 5 microl of saline). Four days after PTX injection, thermal hyperalgesia was observed, together with increased coupling of excitatory Gs-protein to mu-opioid receptors in the spinal cord. Ultra-low dose naloxone pretreatment preserved the antinociceptive effect of morphine, and this effect was completely blocked by the mu-opioid receptor antagonist CTOP, but not by the kappa-opioid receptor antagonist nor-BNI or the delta-opioid receptor antagonist naltrindole. Moreover, a co-immunoprecipitation study showed that ultra-low dose naloxone restored mu-opioid receptor/Gi-protein coupling and inhibited the PTX-induced mu-opioid receptor/Gs-protein coupling. In addition to the anti-neuroinflammatory effect and glutamate transporter modulation previously observed in PTX-treated rats, the re-establishment of mu-opioid receptor Gi/Go-protein coupling is involved in the restoration of the antinociceptive effect of morphine by ultra-low dose naloxone pretreatment by normalizing the balance between the excitatory and inhibitory signaling pathways. These results show that ultra-low dose naloxone preserves the antinociceptive effect of morphine, suppresses spinal neuroinflammation, and reduces PTX-elevated excitatory Gs-coupled opioid receptors in PTX-treated rats. We suggest that ultra-low dose naloxone might be clinically valuable in pain management.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Tri-Service General Hospital and National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: R-Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Y-H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.forename: J-I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Tzeng
authors.forename: C-H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Cherng
authors.forename: C-C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: C-S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D019206:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gi-Go / Q000378:metabolism; D019205:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gs / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009270:Naloxone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010146:Pain / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D037342:Pertussis Toxin; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D009270:Naloxone; D009020:Morphine; D037342:Pertussis Toxin; D019206:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gi-Go; D019205:GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gs