Abstract

Earlier studies from this laboratory had indicated that there is a selective increase in the density of brain kappa opioid receptors labeled with [3H]ethylketocyclazocine in spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats in comparison to normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats. The binding of a mu-ligand, [3H]naltrexone, and a delta-ligand, [3H]Tyr-D-Ser-Gly-Phe-Leu-Thr, to brain membranes of hypertensive and normotensive rats did not differ. The present studies were undertaken to determine further the role of kappa opioid receptors in hypertension. The binding of [3H]ethylketocyclazocine to brain membranes of hypertensive rats was much greater than those of normotensive rats. The density of kappa receptors was significantly higher in hypothalamic membranes of hypertensive rats as compared to normotensive rats. In order to determine the functional significance of the increased density of brain kappa opioid receptors in SHR rats, the effect of the kappa receptor agonists, tifluadom, U-50,488H and bremazocine, on two known actions associated with kappa receptors, namely analgesia and diuresis, were determined in SHR and normotensive rats. All three kappa agonists produced dose-dependent analgesia as measured by the tail-flick test. The intensity of the analgesic responses at each dose of the drugs in SHR rats was much greater than in normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats. The kappa drugs also produced dose-dependent diuretic effects when the rats were loaded with 5% saline intragastrically. The increases in the volumes of urine produced by kappa drugs were much greater in SHR rats in comparison to normotensive rats. The basal tail-flick reaction time or urinary output in the two strains did not differ.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)