Involvement of epsilon and kappa opioid receptors in inhibition of the tail-flick response induced by bremazocine in the mouse.

Bremazocine, a benzomorphan, has been reported to have kappa, mu and epsilon opioid receptor binding activities. The present studies were then designed to determine what types of opioid receptors and neurotransmitters were involved in inhibiting the tail-flick response induced by bremazocine in male ICR mice. U50, 488H, a prototypic kappa agonist, was used for comparison. Bremazocine, at doses from 0.1 to 1 microgram given i.c.v., dose-dependently inhibited the tail-flick response. The paw-licking hot plate response, even at high doses of bremazocine, was not completely inhibited. The inhibition of the tail-flick response induced by bremazocine (1 microgram) given i.c.v. was blocked by i.c.v. coadministration of beta-endorphin-(1-27) (3 and 6 micrograms), an epsilon opioid receptor antagonist and norbinaltorphimine (4 micrograms), a kappa opioid receptor antagonist. On the other hand, the inhibition induced by i.c.v. U50,488H (40 micrograms) was blocked by i.c.v. norbinaltorphimine, but not beta-endorphin-(1-27). D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Try-Orn-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH2 (CTOP; 0.5 microgram) and beta-funaltrexamine (beta-FNA; 2.5 micrograms), selective mu opioid receptor antagonists, and ICI 174,864 (10 micrograms), a delta-opioid receptor antagonist, which blocked the effects induced by DAMGO (16 ng) and DPDPE (20 micrograms), respectively, did not block inhibition of the tail-flick response induced by bremazocine (1 microgram) given i.c.v. The inhibition of the tail-flick response induced by i.t. administration of bremazocine (1 microgram) was blocked by i.t. coadministration of norbinaltorphimine but not CTOP, ICI 174,864, or beta-endorphin-(1-27).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)