Abstract

In rat dorsal root ganglion neurons, activation of κ- and μ-opioid receptors decreases N-type calcium current, whereas a constitutively active form of protein kinase C (PKC; i.e., PKM, a PKC catalytic subunit fragment) increases N-type calcium current. PKC also attenuates inhibition of calcium current by several G protein-linked neurotransmitter systems. We examined the effects of activation of endogenous PKC by 4β-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and dialysis of cells with PKM and a pseudosubstrate inhibitor PKC_(19–31) (PKC-I) on κ- and μ-opioid-mediated inhibition of calcium current, calcium current amplitude, and rundown. PMA modestly increased peak calcium current and substantially reduced calcium current “rundown,” effects blocked by PKC-I. In contrast, PKC-I decreased calcium current and increased current rundown. PMA attenuated morphine-, dynorphin A-, and U50,488- but not pentobarbitol-related inhibition of calcium current. Similar effects were seen with intracellular dialysis of PKM. Intracellular PKC-I did not block opioid inhibition of calcium current but did reverse PMA and PKM effects on opioid receptor coupling to calcium channels. Because neither PMA nor PKM changed the proportion of ω-CgTX-inhibited current, their effects were not due to a decrease in the proportion of N-type current. After ω-CgTX treatment, there were no differences in the dynorphin A effects on control and PMA- or PKM-treated neurons, suggesting that PKC primarily affected coupling to N-type calcium channels. These data suggest that in acutely dissociated rat dorsal root ganglion neurons, endogenous PKC is required for maintenance of calcium current, may play a role in regulation of neuronal calcium channels, and could be involved in tolerance and/or cross-talk inhibition of opioid responsiveness.