Mu-opioid receptors mediate the inhibitory effect of opioids on dopamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase in primary cultures of rat neostriatal neurons.

The receptors mediating the inhibition of D1 dopamine receptor-stimulated adenylate cyclase by opioids were examined in primary cultures of rat neostriatal neurons. Adenylate cyclase activity was dose-dependently increased by the selective D1 dopamine receptor agonist SKF 38393 (EC50 = 0.05 microM). This stimulation was fully antagonized by the selective D1 dopamine receptor antagonist SCH 23390 (1 microM). SKF 38393 (1 microM)-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity was strongly reduced (by almost 60%) by the highly selective mu-agonist [D-Ala2, MePhe4, Gly-ol5]-enkephalin (DAGO; EC50 = 0.006 microM) and high concentrations of the selective delta-agonist [D-Ser2(O-tert-butyl), Leu5]-enkephalyl-Thr6 (DSTBU-LET; EC50 = 0.13 microM) but not by the selective delta-agonist [D-penicillamine2, D-penicillamine5]enkephalin (DPDPE). D1 dopamine receptor-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity was also slightly reduced (by approximately 20%) by high concentrations of the kappa-agonist U50,488 (EC50 = 0.63 microM). The inhibitory effects of submaximally effective concentrations of DAGO, DSTBULET, and U50,488 were equally well antagonized by the mu-opioid receptor-selective antagonist naloxone (EC50 of approximately 0.1 microM). Neither the irreversible delta-ligand fentanyl isothiocyanate (1 microM) nor the reversible delta-antagonist ICI 174864 (1 microM) reversed the inhibitory effects of DSTBULET. The inhibitory effects of DAGO and U50,488 were equally well reversed by high concentrations (greater than 0.1 microM) of the kappa-opioid receptor-selective antagonist norbinaltorphimine. The effect of DAGO (1 microM) was already detectable after 1 day in culture, whereas DPDPE (1 microM) had no effect even after 28 days in culture. These data indicate that an homogeneous population of mu-opioid receptors coupled as inhibitors to D1 dopamine receptor-stimulated adenylate cyclase is expressed in rat neostriatal neurons in primary culture.