Mu opioid receptors modulate net chloride secretion in the guinea pig colonic mucosa in a dual fashion.

The present voltage-clamp data from guinea pig colonic mucosa indicate that mu opioid receptors both enhance and inhibit net chloride secretion stimulated by PGE1 plus theophylline. Actually, enhancement by the mu opioid agonist DAGO (0.2 nmol/l) declines and finally turns into inhibition with increasing net chloride secretion observed in control preparations taken from the same animals. Moreover, inhibition by the mu opioid antagonist CTOP-NH2 (100 nmol/l) increases with increasing inhibition (or decreasing enhancement) by the mu opioid agonist DAGO. Thus, the mu opioid agonist DAGO and the mu opioid antagonist CTOP-NH2 display opposite effects on net chloride secretion only to a limited degree but otherwise show parallel, either stimulatory or inhibitory, effects. To explain this complex function of mu opioid receptors in the control of net chloride secretion, a working hypothesis is being proposed.