Abstract

This study investigated the possible involvement of opioid delta receptors in the modulation of morphine antinociceptive potency produced by L365,260 a CCKB antagonist. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.), intratheoal (i.th.) or subcutaneous (s.c.) L365,260 alone did not produce any antinociceptive actions in the mouse warm-water tail-nick test. Treatment with L365,260 by any of these routes produced a leftward shift of the corresponding morphine dose-effect curve that was blocked by pretreatment with a receptor selective dose of s.c. naltrindole, an opioid delta receptor antagonist. Pretreatment with i.c.v. antisera to [Leu5]enkephalin also blocked the leftward displacement of the i.c.v. morphine dose-effect curve resulting from L365,260 but did not directly alter the i.c.v. morphine dose-effect curve; antisera to [Met5]enkephalin did not alter the effects of morphine or the modulation of morphine antinociception produced by L365,260. Repeated pretreatment with L365,260 resulted in a progressive decrease in the magnitude of the morphine modulatory action (i.e., L365,260 "tolerance"). In these "L365,260-tolerant" mice, the dose-effect curve for i.c.v. [D-Ala2, Glu4]deltrophin (a selective delta agonist) was displaced to the right by approximately 8.2-fold. The i.c.v. administration of [Leu5]enkephalin produced a leftward displacement of the i.c.v. morphine dose-effect curve that diminished after repeated administration (i.e., [Leu5]enkephalin "tolerance"). In "[Leu5]enkephalin-tolerant" mice, L365,260 failed to produce the leftward shift of the morphine dose-effect curve seen in control animals. That is, two-way antinociceptive cross-tolerance was observed between an opioid delta agonist and a CCKB receptor antagonist. Intracerebroventricular thiorphan, a peptidase inhibitor, did not elicit antinociception directly. Co-administration of thiorphan with L365,260 elicited significant antinociception that was blocked by naltrindole or antisera to [Leu5]enkephalin; antisera to [Met5]enkephalin had no effect. Repeated administration of i.c.v. [D-Ala2, Glu4]deltorphin resulted in a progressively decreasing antinociceptive effect (i.e., [D-Ala2, Glu4]deltorphin "tolerance"). In "[D-Ala2, Glu4]deltorphin-tolerant" mice, the thiorphan/L365,260 antinociceptive effect was inhibited. Collectively, these data suggest that CCK interacts at the CCKB receptor to inhibit tonically the release and/or availability of an endogenous substance acting at opioid delta receptors. The subsequent enhancement of morphine antinociceptive potency may reflect the well-known modulation of morphine antinociception produced by opioid delta receptor agonists. In this case, the latter may be [Leu5]enkephalin or a [Leu5]enkephalin-like substance.