[D-Pen2,5]enkephalin and glutamate regulate the expression of delta-opioid receptors in rat cortical astrocytes.

Recent work from our and other laboratories have shown that glial cells in culture express opioid receptors. In the present study we have analyzed the regulation of delta-opioid receptor mRNA and the regulation of delta-opioid receptor activated astroglial Ca2+ responses in primary cultures from the rat cerebral cortex. Astroglial cultures were incubated with glutamate (Glu) or [D-Pen2,5]enkephalin (DPDPE) for 48 h, and delta-opioid receptor mRNA levels were analyzed using a solution hybridization RNase protection assay. Our results suggest that incubation in Glu or DPDPE upregulates the abundance of delta-opioid receptor mRNA in a dose dependent way. Glu incubated cells showed a maximum upregulation at the highest agonist concentration used (10[-5] M), whereas DPDPE was most effective at low concentrations (l0[-9] M). Furthermore, corresponding Ca2+ imaging experiments showed that incubation in Glu or DPDPE upregulated the responding frequency of delta-opioid receptor activated glial calcium fluxes from a control value of 5% to 14% and 17% responding cells, respectively.