Direct evidence for the up-regulation of spinal μ-opioid receptor function after repeated stimulation of κ-opioid receptors in the mouse

The present study was designed to investigate the possible change in spinal μ-opioid receptor function after repeated administration of a selective κ-opioid receptor agonist (1 S-trans)-3,4-dichloro-N-methyl-N- [2-(1-pyrrolidinyl) cyclohexyl]-benzeneacetamide hydrochloride [(-)U-50,488H] in the ICR mouse. A single s.c. or i.t. injection of (-)U-50,488H produced a dose-dependent antinociception. Repeated s.c. or i.t. administration of (-)U-50,488H resulted in the development of tolerance to (-)U-50,488H-induced antinociception. Under these conditions, we demonstrated here that repeated s.c. injection of (-)U-50,488H significantly enhanced the antinociceptive effect induced by the i.t. administration of a selective μ-opioid receptor agonist [D-Ala²,N-Me-Phe⁴,Gly⁵-ol] enkephalin (DAMGO). Using the guanosine-5′-o-(3-[³⁵S]thio) triphosphate ([ ³⁵S]GTPγS) binding assay, we found that (-)U-50,488H was able to produce a dose-dependent increase in [³⁵S]GTPγS binding to membranes of the mouse spinal cord. Repeated administration of (-)U-50,488H caused a significant reduction in the (-)U-50,488H-stimulated [ ³⁵S]GTPγS binding in this region, whereas repeated treatment with (-)U-50,488H exhibited an increase in the DAMGO-stimulated [ ³⁵S]GTPγS binding in membranes of the spinal cord. Using a receptor binding assay, repeated treatment with (-)U-50,488H significantly increased the density of [³H]DAMGO binding sites in membranes of the mouse spinal cord. In contrast, the expression of μ-opioid receptor was not affected after repeated treatment with (-)U-50,488H. These results suggest that repeated stimulation of κ-opioid receptors leads to the up-regulation of μ-opioid receptor functions in the spinal cord, which may be associated with an increase in the number of functional μ-opioid receptors in the mouse spinal cord.