Endomorphin 1 and 2 are two tetrapeptides recently isolated from bovine as well as human brains and proposed to be the endogenous ligand for the μ- opiate receptor Opioid compounds expressing μ-receptor preference are generally potent analgesics. The spinal cord dorsal horn is considered to be an important site for the processing of sensory information including pain. The discovery that endomorphins produced greater analgesia in mice upon intrathecal as compared to intracerebroventricular injections raises the possibility that dorsal horn neurons may represent the anatomic site upon which endomorphins exert their analgesic effects. We report here the detection of endomorphin 2-immunoreactive fiber-like elements in superficial layers of the rat dorsal horn by immunohistochemical techniques. Whole-cell patch recordings from substantia gelatinosa neurons of cervical spinal cord slices revealed two conspicuous effects of exogenously applied endomorphin 1 and 2: (i) depression of excitatory postsynaptic potentials evoked by stimulation of dorsal root entry zone, and (ii) hyperpolarization of substantia gelatinosa neurons. These effects were reversed by the selective μ-opiate receptor antagonist β-funaltrexamine. Collectively, the detection of endomorphin-like immunoreactivity in nerve fibers of the superficial layers and the inhibitory action of endomorphins on substantia gelatinosa neurons provide further support for a potential role of these two peptides in spinal nociception.

Nociceptin, also referred to as orphanin FQ, is believed to be the endogenous ligand for the ORL1. Nociceptin, when injected intracerebroventricularly to mice, produced hyperalgesia in behavioral tests. Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of ORL1 transcript in the spinal cord, and ORL1-like immunoreactivity has been localized to nerve fibers and somata throughout the spinal cord. Here, we report the localization of nociceptin-like immunoreactivity to fiber-like elements of the superficial layers of the rat dorsal horn by immunohistochemical techniques. Whole-cell recordings from substantia gelatinosa neurons in transverse lumbar spinal cord slices of 22-26-day-old rats showed that exogenous nociceptin at low concentrations (100-300 nM) depressed excitatory postsynaptic potentials evoked by stimulation of dorsal rootlets without causing an appreciable change of resting membrane potentials and glutamate- evoked depolarizations. At a concentration of 1 μM, nociceptin hyperpolarized substantia gelatinosa neurons and suppressed spike discharges. The hyperpolarizing and synaptic depressant action of nociceptin was not reversed by the known opioid receptor antagonist naloxone (1 μM). Our result provides evidence that nociceptin-like peptide is concentrated in nerve fibers of the rat dorsal horn and that it may serve as an inhibitory transmitter within the substantia gelatinosa.

1. Whole-cell patch recordings were made from substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons in transverse lumbar spinal cord slices of 15- to 30-day-old rats. 2. Endomorphin 1 (EM-1) or EM-2 (≤ 10 μM) hyperpolarized or induced an outward current in 26 of the 66 SG neurons. The I-V relationship showed that the peptide activates an inwardly rectifying K + current. 3. EM-1 or EM-2 (0.3-10 μM) suppressed short-latency excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) and long-latency inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) in nearly all SG neurons tested or short-latency IPSCs in six of the 10 SG neurons. [Met 5] enkephalin or [D-Ala 2, N-Me-Phe 4, Gly 5-ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO) (1-10 μM) depressed EPSCs and IPSCs. EM-1 or EM-2 depressed synaptic responses without causing a significant change in holding currents or inward currents induced by glutamate. 4. Glutamate also evoked a short-latency outward current in five SG neurons or a biphasic current in two neurons; the outward current was blocked by tetrodotoxin (TTX, 0.3 μM) or bicuculline (10 μM). EM-1 or DAMGO (1 or 5 μM) attenuated the glutamate-evoked outward or biphasic currents in four of the seven SG neurons. 5. EM-1 (1 μM) reduced the frequency, but not the amplitude of miniature EPSCs or miniature IPSCs. 6. Naloxone (1 μM) or the selective μ-opioid receptor antagonist β-funaltrexamine (β-FNA, 25 μM) antagonized the action of EM; EM-induced hyperpolarizations persisted in the presence of the κ-opioid receptor antagonist (nor-binaltorphimine dihydrochloride, 1 μM) and/or σ-opioid receptor antagonist (naltrindole hydrochloride, 1 μM). 7. It may be concluded that EM acting on μ-opioid receptors hyperpolarizes a population of SG neurons by activating an inwardly rectifying K + current, and attenuates excitatory and inhibitory synaptic currents evoked in a population of SG neurons, probably by a presynaptic site of action.

The version posted must include the following notice on the first page: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cne.23477/abstract, which has been published in final form at DOI: 10.1002/cne.23477. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving. / 京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第19610号 / 医博第4117号 / 新制||医||1015(附属図書館) / 32646 / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 渡邉 大, 教授 髙橋 良輔, 教授 宮本 享 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

The use of nanocarriers is an intriguing approach in the development of efficacious treatment for brain disorders. The aim of the conducted research was to evaluate and quantify the impact of a liposomal nanocarrier formulation on the brain drug delivery. A novel approach for investigating the blood-brain barrier transport of liposomal DAMGO is presented, including in vivo microdialysis in rat, a high quality LC-MS/MS bioanalytical method and pharmacokinetic model analysis of the data. Factors limiting the brain distribution of the free peptide DAMGO were also investigated. Microdialysis, in combination with plasma sampling, made it possible to separate the released drug from the encapsulated and to quantify the active substance in both blood and brain interstitial fluid over time. The opioid peptide DAMGO entered the brain to a limited extent, with a clearance out of the brain 13 times higher than the clearance into the brain. The brain to blood ratio of unbound drug was not affected when the efflux transporter inhibitors cyclosporine A and elacridar were co-administered with DAMGO. Nor was the transport affected in the in vitro Caco-2 assay using the same inhibitors. This indicates that DAMGO is not transported by P-glycoprotein (Pgp) or breast cancer resistant protein (Bcrp). The blood-brain barrier transport was significantly increased for DAMGO when formulated in liposomes, resulting in 2-3 fold higher brain to blood ratio of unbound DAMGO. The increased brain delivery was seen both for glutathione tagged PEGylated liposomes, as well as for PEGyalted liposomes without specific brain targeting. The improvement in brain delivery was observed only when DAMGO was encapsulated into the liposomes, thus excluding any effect of the liposomes themselves on the integrity of the blood-brain barrier. Modeling of the data provided additional mechanistic understanding of the brain uptake, showing that endocytosis or transcytosis of intact liposomes across the endothelial cell membranes were unlikely. A model describing fusion of the liposomes with the luminal membrane described the experimental data the best. In conclusion, the studies presented in this thesis all contribute to an increased understanding of how to evaluate and improve brain delivery of CNS active drugs and contribute with important insights to the nanocarrier field.