title: Neuroprotective potential of biphalin, multireceptor opioid peptide, against excitotoxic injury in hippocampal organotypic culture.
abstract: Biphalin is a dimeric opioid peptide that exhibits affinity for three types of opioid receptors (MOP, DOP and KOP). Biphalin is undergoing intensive preclinical study. It was recognized that activation of δ-opioid receptor elicits neuroprotection against brain hypoxia and ischemia. We compare the effect of biphalin and morphine and the inhibition of opioid receptors by naltrexone on survival of neurons in rat organotypic hippocampal cultures challenged with NMDA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) 0.025-0.1 μM biphalin reduces NMDA-induced neuronal damage; (2) biphalin neuroprotection is abolished by naltrexone; (3) reduced number of dead cells is shown even if biphalin is applied with delay after NMDA challenge.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Unit, Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Pawinskiego Str, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawalec
authors.forename: Joanna E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kowalczyk
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beresewicz
authors.forename: Andrzej W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Lipkowski
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zablocka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018683:Excitatory Amino Acid Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects*; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000633:toxicity*; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000494:pharmacology; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D004745:Enkephalins; D018683:Excitatory Amino Acid Agents; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta; D009271:Naltrexone; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D009020:Morphine; C053673:biphalin