Withdrawal responses of guinea-pig isolated ileum following brief exposure to opiates and opioid peptides

Abstract

Withdrawal contractures following brief exposure of guinea-pig ileum to enkephalin analogues, dynorphin A-(1-13) and beta-endorphin and the opiate drugs morphine, ketocyclazocine, buprenorphine and MR2034 were investigated. Following 2 min contact with the ileum a withdrawal contracture was induced by washout of (Met5)- and (Leu5)-enkephalin and by several enkephalin analogues but not by washout of (D-Ala2,D-Leu5)-enkephalinamide or any of the other drugs tested. Addition of naloxone precipitated withdrawal to all opioids tested except the kappa receptor preferential drugs ketocyclazocine and MR2034 and the mu receptor partial agonist, buprenorphine. The heights of the withdrawal contractures to enkephalin analogues were found to be dependent on the concentration of agonist and of naloxone, and on the duration of the contact period of opioid with the ileum. The naloxone-precipitated withdrawal responses to morphine, dynorphin A-(1-13) and the washout withdrawal response to (Met5)-enkephalin were inhibited by substance P antagonists thus supporting the previous proposal that substance P mediates the opiate withdrawal response. This study has shown that mu receptor agonists produced dependence in the guinea-pig ileum revealed by a withdrawal contracture on addition of naloxone, whereas dependence on kappa receptor agonists could not be revealed with naloxone. Since the guinea-pig ileum preparation has millimicron and kappa receptors it was concluded that the endogenous opioid peptides, enkephalins, beta-endorphin and dynorphin A-(1-13), all induced dependence by acting on mu receptors in this preparation.