RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Separation of opioid analgesia from respiratory depression: evidence for different receptor mechanisms. JF Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics JO J Pharmacol Exp Ther FD American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics SP 149 OP 155 VO 232 IS 1 A1 Ling, G S A1 Spiegel, K A1 Lockhart, S H A1 Pasternak, G W YR 1985 UL http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/232/1/149.abstract AB Pretreating rats 24 hr earlier with naloxonazine (10 mg/kg i.v.) virtually eliminates the analgesic response observed with morphine at 3.5 mg/kg (i.v.) and significantly reduces the elevation in tail-flick latencies seen with higher morphine doses. Full dose-response curves show a 4-fold shift to the right (P less than .001) following naloxonazine treatment. At 3.5 mg/kg (i.v.), morphine depresses respiratory function, as determined by arterial blood gas (pO2, pCO2 and pH) measurements. Unlike analgesia, prior treatment of rats with naloxonazine does not alter the respiratory depressant actions of morphine. This inability of naloxonazine to antagonize the respiratory depressant actions of morphine is supported by full dose-response curves. Thus, prior treatment of rats with the mu-1-selective antagonist naloxonazine selectively antagonizes analgesia without affecting respiratory depression, implying different receptor mechanisms for the analgesic and respiratory depressant effects of morphine. Further comparisons of the analgesic and respiratory depressant effects of morphine and two opioid peptides, metkephamid and D-Ala2-D-Leu5-enkephalin, strongly suggest the involvement of mu-2 rather than delta mechanisms in opioid respiratory depression.