The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics
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J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. · Apr 1996
Effects of naloxone and D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Arg-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH2 and the protein kinase inhibitors H7 and H8 on acute morphine dependence and antinociceptive tolerance in mice.
Previous studies measuring opioid inhibition of cyclic adenosine monophosphate in SH-SY5Y cells supported the hypothesis that continuous agonist stimulation causes a gradual conversion of the mu opioid receptor to a sensitized or constitutively active state termed mu*. Conversion to mu* was prevented by the kinase inhibitor H7, but not its close analog H8. Naloxone was proposed to act as a negative antagonist (inverse agonist) blocking mu* activity, whereas D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Arg-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH2 (CTAP) appeared to act as a neutral antagonist having no effect on mu* activity. ⋯ Morphine pretreatment (100 mg/kg, s.c., -5 hr) produced antinociceptive tolerance as shown by a 2.7-fold increase in the calculated morphine A50 value. Tolerance was reversed by H7, but not H8, treatment (50 nmol, i.c.v., -30 min). These results are consistent with the hypothesis that a sensitized or constitutively active mu* state plays a role in narcotic tolerance and dependence.