Functional kappa-opioid receptors on oxytocin and vasopressin nerve terminals isolated from the rat neurohypophysis.

Opioids intrinsic to the rat neurohypophysial system act to inhibit secretion from the terminals of magnocellular neurones. Opioid receptors in the neurohypophysis are predominantly of the kappa-subtype and selective kappa-agonists suppress electrically evoked release of oxytocin (OXT) and vasopressin (AVP). We have looked for the presence of functional kappa-receptors on neurohypophysial nerve terminals by examining effects of kappa-agonists on secretion from suspensions of isolated neurohypophysial nerve terminals (neurosecretosomes) retained on filters in a perifusion system. Release of both OXT and AVP evoked by K+-depolarisation was inhibited by the kappa-agonists U-50,488H (34% and 45% respectively) and dynorphin A1-13 (68% and 51% respectively). Inhibition by dynorphin A was only observed in the presence of peptidase inhibitors. The actions of both kappa-agonists were prevented by the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone. The experiments indicate the presence of kappa-receptors on terminals of OXT and AVP neurones. This receptor population is in addition to those previously described on pituicytes and those influencing release of neurohypophysial noradrenaline.