Angiotensin (1-7) prevents angiotensin II-induced nociceptive behaviour via inhibition of p38 MAPK phosphorylation mediated through spinal Mas receptors in mice.

BACKGROUND: We have recently demonstrated that intrathecal (i.t.) administration of angiotensin II (Ang II) induces nociceptive behaviour in mice accompanied by a phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) mediated through Ang II type 1 (AT1 ) receptors. The N-terminal fragment of Ang II, Ang (1-7), plays a pivotal role in counterbalancing many of the well-established actions induced by Ang II. However, the role of Ang (1-7) in spinal nociceptive transmission remains unclear. Therefore, we examined whether i.t. administration of Ang (1-7) can inhibit the Ang II-induced nociceptive behaviour in mice. METHODS: In the behavioural experiments, the accumulated response time of nociceptive behaviour consisting of scratching, biting and licking in conscious mice was determined during a 25-min period starting after i.t. injection. The distribution and localization of AT1 or Mas receptors were analysed using a MapAnalyzer and confocal microscope, respectively. Phosphorylation of p38 MAPK in the dorsal spinal cord was measured by Western blotting. RESULTS: The nociceptive behaviour induced by Ang II was dose-dependently inhibited by the co-administration of Ang (1-7). The inhibitory effect of Ang (1-7) was reversed by the co-administration of A779, a Mas receptor antagonist. Western blot analysis showed that the increase in spinal p38 MAPK phosphorylation following the i.t. administration of Ang II was also inhibited by Ang (1-7), and the Ang (1-7) induced-inhibition was prevented by A779. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that the i.t. administration of Ang (1-7) attenuates an Ang II-induced nociceptive behaviour and is accompanied by the inhibition of p38 MAPK phosphorylation mediated through Mas receptors.

Decreased CaMKII and PKC activities in specific brain regions are associated with cognitive impairment in neonatal ventral hippocampus-lesioned rats.

Neonatal ventral hippocampus (NVH)-lesioned rats represent a neurodevelopmental impairment model of schizophrenia. Previous observations indicate that postpubertal NVH-lesioned rats exhibit impairments in prepulse inhibition (PPI), spontaneous locomotion and social interaction behavior. Here, we document the neurochemical basis of those defects. PPI impairment but not cognitive impairment was improved by acute risperidone treatment (0.30mg/kgi.p.). Immunohistochemical analyses using anti-autophosphorylated Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) antibody indicated significantly reduced CaMKII autophosphorylation, especially in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), striatum and hippocampal CA1 region, of NVH-lesioned rats relative to control animals. We also confirmed that reduced CaMKII autophoshorylation in the mPFC, striatum and hippocampal CA1 region causes decreased phosphorylation of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolpropionic acid-type glutamate receptor subunit 1 (GluR1) (Ser 831), a CaMKII substrate. Like CaMKII, PKCα (Ser 657) autophosphorylation and NR1 (Ser 896) phosphorylation were decreased both in the mPFC and CA1 region. Interestingly, phosphorylation of DARPP-32 (Thr 34) was decreased in the mPFC but increased in the striatum and CA1 region of NVH-lesioned rats compared to controls. Risperidone treatment restored increased DARPP-32 phosphorylation in the striatum and CA1 regions of NVH-lesioned rats but did not rescue CaMKII and PKCα autophosphorylation. Taken together, we find that impaired cognition observed in NVH-lesioned rats is associated with decreased CaMKII and PKCα activities in memory-related brain regions, changes not rescued by risperidone treatment.

Enhanced head-twitch response to 5-HT-related agonists in thiamine-deficient mice.

While many studies suggest an involvement of brain serotonergic systems in neuro-psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and depression, their role in Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) remains unclear. Since dietary thiamine deficiency (TD) in mice is considered as a putative model of WKS, it was used in the present study to investigate the function of serotonergic neurons in this disorder. After 20 days of TD feeding, the intensity of tryptophan hydroxylase immunofluorescence was found to be significantly decreased in the dorsal and medial raphe nuclei. In addition, the head-twitch response (HTR) elicited by the intracerebroventricular administration of the 5-HT(2A) agonist 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine hydrochloride (DOI) was significantly increased in TD versus control mice, whereas the injection of ketanserin, a 5-HT(2A) receptor antagonist, prevented this enhancement. A single injection of thiamine HCl on the 19th day of TD feeding did not reduce the enhanced DOI-induced HTR. On the other hand, the administration of d-fenfluramine, a 5-HT releaser, did not enhance the HTR in TD mice. Together, our results indicate that TD causes a super-sensitivity of 5-HT(2A) receptors by reducing presynaptic 5-HT synthesis derived from degenerating neurons projecting from the raphe nucleus.

Effects of NMDA receptor-related agonists on learning and memory impairment in olfactory bulbectomized mice.

A significant impairment of learning and memory-related behavior was induced in mice on the 7th and 14th days after olfactory bulbectomy (OBX), as measured by a passive avoidance task. The involvement of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor ion-channel complex for learning and memory-related behavior impairment was examined by the intracerebroventricular administration of several NMDA receptor-related agonists and in combination with antagonists. The NMDA receptor agonist NMDA (1 ng/mouse) and the polyamine site agonist spermidine (1 micro g/mouse) improved learning and memory-related behavior impairment. In contrast, the glycine agonist D-cycloserine (0.2, 1 and 5 micro g/mouse) had no effect on learning and memory-related behavior impairment. The improved effects by NMDA and spermidine were reversed by the coadministration of D-APV, a competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801, an NMDA ion-channel blocker and ifenprodil, a polyamine site antagonist, respectively. These results suggest that the degeneration of NMDA receptors and polyamine sites in the NMDA receptor ion-channel complex may be involved in the OBX-induced impairment of learning and memory-related behavior.

Effect of kami-untan-to on the impairment of learning and memory induced by thiamine-deficient feeding in mice.

We have recently reported that thiamine deficient (TD) mice show an impairment of learning and memory on the 20th day after start of TD feeding. Interestingly, it has been reported that the kampo medicine, "kami-untan-to" (KUT) may be useful as a potential therapeutic agent in diseases associated with cholinergic deficit such as Alzheimer's disease. In the present study, we investigated the effects of KUT on the impairment of memory-related behavior concomitant with psychoneuronal symptoms after TD feeding in mice. Oral administration of KUT had no effect on the food intake, body weight or locomotor activity in TD mice, but the mortality rate in the KUT-treated TD group was significantly lower compared with that in the non-treated TD group. Daily administration of KUT from the 1st day of TD feeding protected against the impairment of memory-related behavior induced by TD. The intensity of the choline acetyltransferase fluorescence decreased in the field of CA1 and dentate gyrus in the hippocampus in TD mice compared with pair-fed mice as the control group, and KUT treatment inhibited this decrease. These results suggest that the effect of KUT on the impairment of memory-related behavior induced by TD feeding may be closely related to the activation of cholinergic neurons in the hippocampus.

Enhancement of 5-hydroxytryptamine-induced head-twitch response after olfactory bulbectomy.

5-Hydroxytryptamine(2A) receptor agonists evoke the head-twitch response in mice. The head-twitch response in olfactory bulbectomized mice elicited by the administration of 5-hydroxytryptamine (40 microgram/mouse, i.c.v.) was increased about threefold as compared with controls on the 14th day after the operation. The injection of ketanserin (1 mg/kg, i.p.), a 5-hydroxytryptamine(2A) receptor antagonist, inhibited this enhancement of 5-hydroxytryptamine-induced head-twitch response after olfactory bulbectomized. On the 14th day, the number of head-twitch response induced by 5-hydroxytryptophan (40, 80 and 160 mg/kg, i.p.), a precursor of 5-hydroxytryptamine, did not differ between olfactory bulbectomized and control mice. Monoamine oxidase-B activity in the forebrain of olfactory bulbectomized mice was higher than that in controls while monoamine oxidase-A activities were unchanged. The 5-hydroxytryptamine uptake into synaptosomes in the forebrain homogenates of olfactory bulbectomized mice was lower than that in controls. These findings indicate that olfactory bulbectomized causes the enhancement of head-twitch response by a supersensitivity of 5-hydroxytryptamine(2A) receptors in cerebral cortex derived from degeneration of neurons projecting from the olfactory bulb.

Differential antinociceptive effects induced by intrathecally administered endomorphin-1 and endomorphin-2 in the mouse.

Two highly selective mu-opioid receptor agonists, endomorphin-1 and endomorphin-2, have been identified and postulated to be endogenous ligands for mu-opioid receptors. Intrathecal (i.t.) administration of endomorphin-1 and endomorphin-2 at doses from 0.039 to 5 nmol dose-dependently produced antinociception with the paw-withdrawal test. The paw-withdrawal inhibition rapidly reached its peak at 1 min, rapidly declined and returned to the pre-injection levels in 20 min. The inhibition of the paw-withdrawal responses to endomorphin-1 and endomorphin-2 at a dose of 5 nmol observed at 1 and 5 min after injection was blocked by pretreatment with a non-selective opioid receptor antagonist naloxone (1 mg/kg, s.c.). The antinociceptive effect of endomorphin-2 was more sensitive to the mu (1)-opioid receptor antagonist, naloxonazine than that of endomorphin-1. The endomorphin-2-induced paw-withdrawal inhibition at both 1 and 5 min after injection was blocked by pretreatment with kappa-opioid receptor antagonist nor-binaltorphimine (10 mg/kg, s.c.) or the delta(2)-opioid receptor antagonist naltriben (0.6 mg/kg, s.c.) but not the delta(1)-opioid receptor antagonist 7-benzylidine naltrexone (BNTX) (0.6 mg/kg s.c.). In contrast, the paw-withdrawal inhibition induced by endomorphin-1 observed at both 1 and 5 min after injection was not blocked by naloxonazine (35 mg/kg, s.c.), nor-binaltorphimine (10 mg/kg, s.c.), naltriben (0.6 mg/kg, s.c.) or BNTX (0.6 mg/kg s.c.). The endomorphin-2-induced paw-withdrawal inhibition was blocked by the pretreatment with an antiserum against dynorphin A-(1-17) or [Met(5)]enkephalin, but not by antiserum against dynorphin B-(1-13). Pretreatment with these antisera did not affect the endomorphin-1-induced paw-withdrawal inhibition. Our results indicate that endomorphin-2 given i.t. produces its antinociceptive effects via the stimulation of mu (1)-opioid receptors (naloxonazine-sensitive site) in the spinal cord. The antinociception induced by endomophin-2 contains additional components, which are mediated by the release of dynorphin A-(1-17) and [Met(5)]enkephalin which subsequently act on kappa-opioid receptors and delta(2)-opioid receptors to produce antinociception.

Antinociceptive effect following dietary-induced thiamine deficiency in mice: involvement of substance P and somatostatin.

We produced thiamine deficiency by treating mice with a thiamine deficient (TD) diet, but not with pyrithiamine, a thiamine antagonist. Twenty days after TD feeding, a significant antinociceptive effect was observed in the formalin test. A single injection of thiamine HCl (50 mg/kg, s.c.) on the 19th day after TD feeding (on the late TD stage) failed to reverse the antinociceptive effect, the muricide effect, and impairment of avoidance learning induced by TD feeding, as compared to pair-fed controls. These results indicate the possibility that the TD-induced antinociceptive effect may result from irreversible changes in the spinal and/or brain neurons. To clarify the involvement of substance P (SP) and somatostatin (SST) systems in the spinal cord, we examined the effect of intrathecal (i.t.) injections of these agonists on TD feeding-inducd elevation of pain threshold. I.t. injection of SP and SST elicited a behavioral response consisting of reciprocal hindlimb scratching, biting and/or licking of hindpaws. There was no significant difference in the behavioral response to SP between TD mice and PF mice on the 5th day after feeding. However, on the 10th and 20th day after TD feeding the response to SP was significantly increased compared with PF mice. This phenomenon was also observed with SST on the 20th day after TD feeding. These results indicate the possibility that TD feeding may produce an increased behavioral response to SP and SST through an enhanced sensitivity of neurokinin-1 and SST receptors in the spinal cord. Taken together, the antinociceptive effect following TD feeding may result from a decrease in spinal SP and SST contents.

Characteristics of depressive behavior induced by feeding thiamine-deficient diet in mice.

We produced thiamine-deficient (TD) mice by TD diet treatment. The growth curve of mice on TD feeding was sharply increased until on the 10th day and subsequently the body weight gradually decreased. The mortality rate in mice was about 67% on the 30th day after the start of TD feeding. We performed the forced swimming test on the 10th and 20th day after the start of TD feeding. The duration of immobility in the forced swimming test was increased on the 20th day of TD feeding. Locomotor activity and motor co-ordination between the pair-fed control group and TD group on the 20th day of TD feeding were not significantly changed. Only a single injection of thiamine HCI (50 mg/kg, s.c.) on the 10th day after the start of a TD diet shortened the increased duration of immobility in the forced swimming test on the 20th day after the start of TD feeding. Whereas these reversal effects of thiamine treatment on the 20th day were not found when the treatment was given on the 19th day after the start of a TD diet. On the 20th day after the start of TD feeding, the increased duration of immobility time induced by TD was shortened by chronic administration of the tricyclic antidepressant imipramine (10 mg/kg, i.p.). These results suggested that behavioral changes in the forced swimming test might be involved in the degeneration of serotonergic and noradrenergic neurons.

Cytotoxic effects of dynorphins through nonopioid intracellular mechanisms.

Dynorphin A, a prodynorphin-derived peptide, is able to induce neurological dysfunction and neuronal death. To study dynorphin cytotoxicity in vitro, prodynorphin-derived peptides were added into the culture medium of nonneuronal and neuronal cells or delivered into these cells by lipofection or electroporation. Cells were unaffected by extracellular exposure when peptides were added to the medium. In contrast, the number of viable cells was significantly reduced when dynorphin A or "big dynorphin," consisting of dynorphins A and B, was transfected into cells. Big dynorphin was more potent than dynorphin A, whereas dynorphin B; dynorphin B-29; [Arg(11,13)]-dynorphin A(-13)-Gly-NH-(CH(2))(5)-NH(2), a selective kappa-opioid receptor agonist; and poly-l-lysine, a basic peptide more positively charged than big dynorphin, failed to affect cell viability. The opioid antagonist naloxone did not prevent big dynorphin cytotoxicity. Thus, the toxic effects were structure selective but not mediated through opioid receptors. When big dynorphin was delivered into cells by lipofection, it became localized predominantly in the cytoplasm and not in the nuclei. Big dynorphin appeared to induce toxicity through an apoptotic mechanism that may involve synergistic interactions with the p53 tumor-suppressor protein. It is proposed that big dynorphin induces cell death by virtue of its net positive charge and clusters of basic amino acids that mimic (and thereby perhaps interfere with) basic domains involved in protein-protein interactions. These effects may be relevant for a pathophysiological role of dynorphins in the brain and spinal cord and for control of death of tumor cells, which express prodynorphin at high levels.

Antinociceptive action of amlodipine blocking N-type Ca2+ channels at the primary afferent neurons in mice.

We investigated the antinociceptive action of amlodipine, a dihydropyridine derivative, which acts on both L- and N-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (VDCCs), in mice. Intrathecal injection of amlodipine (300 nmol/kg) significantly shortened the licking time in the late phase of a formalin test, while no effect was found with another dihydropyridine derivative, nicardipine (300 nmol/kg). Cilnidipine and omega-conotoxin GVIA also showed marked analgesic effects under the same experimental conditions. Transcripts of alpha1A, alpha1B, alpha1E, alpha1F, alpha1H, beta3, and beta4 subunits were detected by polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) in the dorsal root ganglion, suggesting the existence of a variety of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. Electrophysiological experiments showed that amlodipine and cilnidipine inhibit N-type currents in the dorsal root ganglion cells. These results suggest that amlodipine, cilnidipine, and omega-conotoxin GVIA exert their antinociceptive actions by blocking N-type Ca2+ channels in the primary nociceptive afferent fibers. Blocking of the Ca2+ channels results in attenuation of synaptic transmission of nociceptive neurons. Furthermore, it is suggested that some N-type Ca2+ channel blockers might have therapeutic potential as analgesics when applied directly into the subarachnoidal space.

Distribution of various calcium channel alpha(1) subunits in murine DRG neurons and antinociceptive effect of omega-conotoxin SVIB in mice.

Immunohistological study revealed the differential localization of subtypes of voltage-dependent calcium channels in the dorsal root ganglion neurons. Intrathecal injection of omega-conotoxin SVIB, an analogue of omega-conotoxin GVIA, which acts on N-type voltage-dependent calcium channels, significantly shortened the licking time in the late phase of a formalin test.

Central serotonergic mechanisms on head twitch response induced by benzodiazepine receptor agonists.

Intraperitoneal injection of benzodiazepine receptor agonists (estazolam, zopiclone, triazolam: 0.03-0.24 mmol/kg) induces the head twitch response (HTR). The present study was undertaken to examine the possible participation of the serotonergic system in the mechanism of head twitches induced by benzodiazepine receptor agonists (BZ-RAs). The HTR induced by BZ-RAs was suppressed by pretreatment with ketanserine (1 mg/kg, i.p.), a selective 5-HT(2) receptor antagonist. Pretreatment with fluoxetine (10 mg/kg, i.p.), a 5-HT reuptake inhibitor, and 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin, a 5-HT(1A) receptor agonist, also suppressed the HTR induced by BZ-RAs. These results suggest that the HTR induced by BZ-RAs may be the result of an activation of postsynaptic 5-HT(2) receptors, probably due to direct action.

p53 Latency. C-terminal domain prevents binding of p53 core to target but not to nonspecific DNA sequences.

The p53 transcription factor is either latent or activated through multi-site phosphorylation and acetylation of the negative regulatory region in its C-terminal domain (CTD). How CTD modifications activate p53 binding to target DNA sequences via its core domain is still unknown. It has been proposed that nonmodified CTD interacts either with the core domain or with DNA preventing binding of the core domain to DNA and that the fragments of the CTD regulatory region activate p53 by interfering with these interactions. We here characterized the sequence and target specificity of p53 activation by CTD fragments, interaction of activating peptides with p53 and target DNA, and interactions of "latent" p53 with DNA by a band shift assay and by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. In addition to CTD fragments, several long basic peptides activated p53 and also transcription factor YY1. These peptides and CTD aggregated target DNA but apparently did not interact with p53. The potency to aggregate DNA correlated with the ability to activate p53, suggesting that p53 binds to target sequences upon interactions with tightly packed DNA in aggregates. Latent full-length p53 dissociated DNA aggregates via its core and CTD, and this effect was potentiated by GTP. Latent p53 also formed complexes via both its core and CTD with long nontarget DNA molecules. Such p53-DNA interactions may occur if latent p53 binding to DNA via CTD prevents the interaction of the core domain with target DNA sites but not with nonspecific DNA sequences.

Antinociceptive effect of spinally injected L-NAME on the acute nociceptive response induced by low concentrations of formalin.

The formalin test has been proposed as an animal model of pain produced by tissue injury. Although biphasic nociceptive responses to formalin injection have been well documented, low concentrations (0.125 and 0.5%) of formalin injected into the mouse hindpaw produced only the phasic (acute) paw-licking response, lasting the first 5 min after the formalin injection. To explore the involvement of nitric oxide (NO) in the spinal cord and peripheral system during the acute phase of the formalin test, we examined the effect of intrathecal (i.t.) or intraplantar (i.pl.) injection of L-N(G)-nitro arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a NO synthase inhibitor in mice. Pretreatment with L-NAME (160 nmol), injected i.t., resulted in a significant inhibition of the paw-licking response induced by 0.125 and 0.5% of formalin. L-Arginine (600 mg/kg, i.p.) but not D-arginine (600 mg/kg, i.p.) reversed the antinociceptive effect of L-NAME on the acute nociceptive response induced by low concentrations of formalin. The i.pl. injection of L-NAME (160 nmol) produced a significant decrease of the late (tonic) phase response evoked by 2.0% formalin without affecting the early (acute) phase response. Similar results have been reported in the case of i.t. injected L-NAME as assayed by the 2.0% formalin test. L-NAME (160 nmol), injected into the plantar paw, gave no significant effect on the acute nociceptive response induced by a low concentration of formalin (0.125%). These results suggest that NO in the spinal cord may be involved in not only the late phase response of the formalin (2.0%)-induced paw-licking, but also at least the acute phase response induced by low concentrations (0.125 and 0.5%) of formalin, while peripheral NO has little effect on the early (acute) phase nociceptive response evoked by formalin (0.125--2.0%) injection.

Antinociceptive effect produced by intracerebroventricularly administered dynorphin A is potentiated by p-hydroxymercuribenzoate or phosphoramidon in the mouse formalin test.

The antinociceptive effects of intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) administered dynorphin A, an endogenous agonist for kappa-opioid receptors, in combination with various protease inhibitors were examined using the mouse formalin test in order to clarify the nature of the proteases involved in the degradation of dynorphin A in the mouse brain. When administered i.c.v. 15 min before the injection of 2% formalin solution into the dorsal surface of a hindpaw, 1-4 nmol dynorphin A produced a dose-dependent reduction of the nociceptive behavioral response consisting of licking and biting of the injected paw during both the first (0-5 min) and second (10-30 min) phases. When co-administered with p-hydroxymercuribenzoate (PHMB), a cysteine protease inhibitor, dynorphin A at the subthreshold dose of 0.5 nmol significantly produced an antinociceptive effect during the second phase. This effect was significantly antagonized by nor-binaltorphimine, a selective kappa-opioid receptor antagonist, but not by naltrindole, a selective delta-opioid receptor antagonist. At the same dose of 0.5 nmol, dynorphin A in combination with phosphoramidon, an endopeptidase 24.11 inhibitor, produced a significant antinociceptive effect during both phases. The antinociceptive effect was significantly antagonized by naltrindole, but not by nor-binaltorphimine. Phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), a serine protease inhibitor, bestatin, a general aminopeptidase inhibitor, and captopril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, were all inactive. The degradation of dynorphin A by mouse brain extracts in vitro was significantly inhibited only by the cysteine protease inhibitors PHMB and N-ethylmaleimide, but not by PMSF, phosphoramidon, bestatin or captopril. The present results indicate that cysteine proteases as well as endopeptidase 24.11 are involved in two steps in the degradation of dynorphin A in the mouse brain, and that phosphoramidon inhibits the degradation of intermediary delta-opioid receptor active fragments enkephalins which are formed from dynorphin A.

Clustering of apoptotic cells via bystander killing by peroxides.

Clustering of apoptotic cells is a characteristic of many developing or renewing systems, suggesting that apoptotic cells kill bystanders. Bystander killing can be triggered experimentally by inducing apoptosis in single cells and may be based on the exchange of as yet unidentified chemical cell death signals between nearby cells without the need for cell-to-cell communication via gap junctions. Here we demonstrate that apoptotic cell clusters occurred spontaneously, after serum deprivation or p53 transfection in cell monolayers in vitro. Clustering was apparently induced through bystander killing by primary apoptotic cells. Catalase, a peroxide scavenger, suppressed bystander killing, suggesting that hydrogen peroxide generated by apoptotic cells is the death signal. Although p53 expression increased the number of apoptoses, clustering was found to be similar around apoptotic cells whether or not p53 was expressed, indicating that there is no specific p53 contribution to bystander killing. Bystander killing through peroxides emitted by apoptotic cells may propagate tissue injury in different pathological situations and be relevant in chemo-, gamma-ray, and gene therapy of cancer.

Antinociceptive effect of cilnidipine, a novel N-type calcium channel antagonist.

We investigated the antinociceptic effects of cilnidipine, a dihydropyridine derivative which acts on both L- and N-type voltage-dependent calcium channels, in mice. Intrathecally injected cilnidipine showed significant analgesic effect in formalin test. Cilnidipine significantly suppressed N-type currents in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells. Our findings apparently support the idea that cilnidipine attenuates synaptic neurotransmission by inhibiting N-type calcium channels in DRG neurons.

Selective antagonism by naloxonazine of antinociception by Tyr-D-Arg-Phe-beta-Ala, a novel dermorphin analogue with high affinity at mu-opioid receptors.

To examine the role of mu-opioid receptor subtypes, we assessed the antinociceptive effect of H-Tyr-D-Arg-Phe-beta-Ala-OH (TAPA), an analogue of dermorphin N-terminal peptide in mice, using the tail-flick test. Intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) or intrathecally (i.t.) injected TAPA produced potent antinociception with tail-flick as a thermal noxious stimulus. The selective mu(1)-opioid receptor antagonist, naloxonazine (35 mg/kg, s.c.), or the selective mu-opioid receptor antagonist, beta-funaltrexamine, 24 h before testing antagonized the antinociceptive effect of i.t. or i.c.v. TAPA on the response to noxious stimuli. Pretreatment with beta-funaltrexamine completely antagonized the antinociception by both i.c.v. and i.t. administered TAPA and [D-Ala(2), Me-Phe(4), Gly(ol)(5)]enkephalin (DAMGO). Especially in the tail-flick test, pretreatment with naloxonazine produced a marked rightward displacement of the i.t. TAPA dose-response curve for antinociception. Though DAMGO is a highly selective mu-opioid receptor agonist, pretreatment with naloxonazine partially blocked the antinociceptive response to DAMGO after i.c.v., but not after i. t. injection. These results indicate that TAPA can act as a highly selective mu(1)-opioid receptor agonist (notable naloxonazine-sensitive receptor agonist) at not only the supraspinal level, but also the spinal level. These data also reveal different antinociceptive mechanisms for DAMGO and for TAPA.

The effects of traditional tonics on fatigue in mice differ from those of the antidepressant imipramine: a pharmacological and behavioral study.

The present studies were undertaken to investigate the differences between the antidepressant drug, imipramine, and liquid nutritive and tonic drugs (NTDs) that consist of Ginseng radix, Epimedii herba, Holen and an additional eight to twelve crude drugs. After preloading forced swimming, the NTD (applied orally, 0.1 ml/10 g) significantly increased the duration time of swimming and decreased the duration time of immobility, while the administration of imipramine (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg, i.p.) under the same conditions and after the same treatment did not produce these positive effects. After pretreatment with 100 mg/kg tetrabenazine, the NTDs also elicited both the increased locomotor activity and the decreased duration time of immobility. The behavioral effect was similar to treatment with imipramine. The NTDs showed a long lasting effect on swimming behavior in the forced swimming test for 15 min, indicating a prolonged efficacy, not like the short effect of imipramine. The present results indicate that the effect of NTDs on fatigued subjects is different from that of imipramine, probably due to involvement of another factor in addition to the antidepressant effect.