Endomorphin-2, deltorphin II and their analogs suppress formalin-induced nociception and c-Fos expression in the rat spinal cord

Abstract

In this study, we evaluated the effects of intrathecally administered agonists of μ- and δ-opioid receptor and their analogs on the pain-induced behavior and expression of c-Fos immunoreactivity in the spinal cord, elicited by intraplantar injection of 12% formalin to the hindpaw of the rat. Previous report from our laboratory and other author's study indicated that intrathecal administration of μ agonists morphine and endomorphin-2 and δ-opioid agonist deltorphin II produced a dose-dependent antinociceptive effects in acute and inflammatory pain. In this study, intrathecal injection of morphine (10 μg), endomorphin-2 (5 μg) and its analog Dmt-endomorphin-2 (10 μg) significantly decreased the formalin-induced pain behavior, and lowered a number of c-Fos positive neurons in the laminae I, II and III of the spinal cord by about 40%, 30% and 40%, respectively. Significant reduction of formalin-induced behavioral responses was also observed after i.th. administration of deltorphin II (15 μg) and its analog ile-deltorphin II (15 μg). Agonists of δ-opioid receptor significantly reduced a number of c-Fos positive neurons by about 28% and 40%, respectively. Analog of endomorphin-2 and analog of deltorphin II suppressed more potently expression of c-Fos in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord than the parent peptides. Our study indicates that new analogs of μ- and δ-opioid receptor exhibit strong antinociceptive potency similar or even higher than the parent peptides, and that their effect is positively correlated with the inhibition of c-Fos expression.