Elsevier

Brain Research

Volume 611, Issue 2, 21 May 1993, Pages 264-271
Brain Research

Involvement of spinal κ opioid receptors in a type of footshock induced analgesia in mice

https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-8993(93)90512-LGet rights and content

Abstract

We have studied the effects of several opioid antagonists on a type of footshock stress-induced analgesia (FSIA) measured by the tail-flick test in male mice. Naloxone injected either subcutaneously (0.1–10 mg/kg) or intrathecally (1–20 μg) antagonized FSIA at higher doses than those that blocked a similar degree of analgesia induced by morphine. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) naloxone (1–20 μg) did not modify the FSIA while antagonizing the i.c.b. morphine-induced analgesia. As a consequence, the antagonism of the FSIA by naloxone probably occurs at the level of the spinal cord and through receptors different than μ. The δ selective antagonist naltrindole (0.1–3 mg/kg s.c.) did not antagonize the analgesic effects of the stress. Nor-binaltorphimine, a κ selective antagonist, blocked the FSIA when administered systematically (1–4 mg/kg i.p.) or locally (0.1–1 μg i.t.). These results strongly suggest that spinal κ opioid receptors are responsible for this type of endogenous analgesia.

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    This work has been supported by a grant of the Universidad de Oviedo (DF91/21940).

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