PMID: 9435178Jan 22, 1998Paper

The nitric oxide/cyclic GMP system at the supraspinal site is involved in the development of acute morphine antinociceptive tolerance

The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
J Y XuJ M Bidlack

Abstract

The role of the supraspinal nitric oxide (NO)/cyclic GMP system in the development of acute morphine antinociceptive tolerance was investigated by use of the mouse 55 degrees C warm-water tail-flick test. A single intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) pretreatment of mice with morphine (3 nmol, 140 min before testing) produced an acute antinociceptive tolerance to subsequent i.c.v. doses of morphine, as demonstrated by a 120-fold rightward shift of the morphine dose-response curve. When co-administered with morphine (140 min before testing), the NO synthase inhibitors: N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), 3-bromo-7-nitroindazole, 7-nitroindazole and NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, attenuated the development of morphine tolerance. All four NO synthase inhibitors completely blocked the rightward shift of the morphine dose-response curve caused by i.c.v. morphine pretreatment (3 nmol, 140 min before testing). This effect was partially antagonized by L-arginine, but not D-arginine, in a dose-dependent manner. Also, D-NAME did not block the development of tolerance. Like the NO synthase inhibitors, LY-83,583, a guanylyl cyclase inhibitor, blocked the development of tolerance, which suggests that NO acting through the cyclic GMP pathway is...Continue Reading

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