Central effects of the potent and highly selective mu opioid antagonist D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Orn-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH2 (CTOP) in mice.

The ability of the selective cyclic mu-opioid receptor antagonist, D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Orn-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH2 (CTOP), to inhibit the acute and chronic effects of morphine in vivo was studied in mice. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of CTOP antagonized the analgesic effect of morphine in a dose-dependent manner, as measured by the heat-irradiant (tail-flick) method. CTOP was more effective than naloxone in inhibiting analgesia on a molar basis. CTOP also antagonized the acute morphine-induced hypermotility. CTOP caused withdrawal hypothermia and a loss of body weight in morphine-dependent animals. After the development of morphine-induced chronic dependence, CTOP administered i.c.v. caused a dose-dependent loss of body weight and hypothermia, and was about 10-400 times more potent than naloxone. CTOP administered alone to drugnaive mice did not cause antinociception, changes in body weight or body temperature.