European journal of pharmacology
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The effects of pretreatment with a highly selective protein kinase C inhibitor, calphostin C, on the antinociception induced by the intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of the mu-opioid receptor agonist [D-Ala2,NMePhe4,Gly-ol5]enkephalin (DAMGO) were studied in diabetic and non-diabetic mice. The antinociceptive potency of i.c.v. DAMGO in diabetic mice was lower than that in non-diabetic mice. ⋯ In non-diabetic mice, i.c.v. pretreatment with a high dose of calphostin C (10 pmol) for 60 and 120 min potentiated DAMGO-induced antinociception. These results indicate that protein kinase C may be involved in DAMGO-induced antinociception in mice. Furthermore, these results suggest that the attenuation of DAMGO-induced antinociception in diabetic mice may be due in part to increased protein kinase C activity.