A proposed mechanism of action for the antinociceptive effect of intrathecally administered calcium in the mouse.

Administration of i.t. calcium has been shown to produce effects which are opposite to those observed when calcium is injected into the brain. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the mechanism of the antinociceptive action of calcium (i.t.). Injection of calcium (i.t.) produced antinociceptive effects in the tail-flick and p-phenylquinone (PPQ) stretching tests. The ED50 value for calcium (i.t.) in the PPQ test was 4.8 (4.2-5.5) nmol per mouse vs. 344 (251-469) nmol per mouse for calcium (i.t.) in the tail-flick test. The antinociceptive effects of calcium (i.t.) were attenuated significantly in the tail-flick test by pretreatment with naloxone (i.t.) (AD50 value = 200 pmol/mouse) and ICI-174,864 (i.t.) (AD50 value = 20 nmol/mouse), but not by the kappa receptor-selective antagonist nor-BNI. The antinociceptive effects of calcium (i.t.) were attenuated significantly in the PPQ test by pretreatment with naloxone (i.t.) (AD50 value = 50 pmol/mouse) and norbinaltorphimine (i.t.) (AD50 value = 110 pmol/mouse), but not by the delta receptor-selective antagonists naltrindole and ICI-174, 864. Administration of calcium (i.t.) significantly enhanced the antinociceptive effects of mu [D-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Gly-ol]enkephalin, delta [D-Pen2,D-Pen5]enkephalin and kappa (U50,488H) opioid receptor-selective peptides. The injection of the dibutyryl derivative of cyclic AMP (i.t.), as well as forskolin (i.t.), blocked the antinociceptive effects of calcium (i.t.) (AD50 values = 39 nmol and 1.7 nmol/mouse, respectively). Injection of apamin (AD50 value = 2.9 pmol/mouse) and charybodotoxin (58 fmol/mouse), blockers of calcium-gated potassium channels, significantly blocked calcium (i.t.). The antinociceptive effects of calcium (i.t.) were also blocked by verapamil (30 and 60 nmol/mouse), theophylline (275 nmol/mouse) and substance P (7.4 nmol/mouse, i.t.). Thus, the data indicate that the mechanism underlying the antinociceptive effect of calcium (i.t.) involves mediation, at least in part, by opioid peptides, alterations in intraneuronal cyclic AMP and/or neuronal hyperpolarization, and decreased release of substance P. The administration of calcium (i.t.) may also enhance the release of adenosine as a significant factor in the antinociceptive effects of the calcium.