Inhibitory action of opioid peptides on ouabain-sensitive Na+-K+ and Ca2+-dependent ATPase activities in bovine cardiac sarcolemma.

The present study demonstrates that morphine (10(-6) and 10(-5) M), methionine-enkephalin or leucine-enkephalin (10(-10), 10(-8), and 10(-6) M) were able to inhibit significantly, in a dose-dependent manner, both the sarcolemmal Ca2+-dependent ATPase and the ouabain-sensitive Na+-K+ ATPase activities. The inhibitory action of these opioids on the two ATPases was not antagonized by preincubation with naloxone (10(-6) M). Naloxone alone (10(-8), 10(-6) and 10(-5) M) did not affect both the sarcolemmal Ca2+-dependent ATPase and the ouabain-sensitive Na+-K+ ATPase activities. Heat-denatured methionine-enkephalin (10(-6) M) or leucine-enkephalin (10(-6) M) also unaffected both the ATPases. The possibility is also discussed that opioid peptides may regulate myocardial contractility by modulating the movement of ions across the heart sarcolemma.