Effects of oxytocin-related peptides on acute morphine tolerance: opposite actions by oxytocin and its receptor antagonists.

The hormonally and behaviorally active nonapeptide oxytocin (OXT), its behaviorally active N-terminal octapeptide desglycinamide9-OXT and Z-prolyl-D-leucine, a synthetic analog of the C-terminal prolyl7-leucine8 sequence, inhibited the development both of a moderate and of a strong tolerance to morphine. N-alpha-Acetyl-(2-0-methyltyrosine)-OXT and (penicillamine1-2-0-methyltyrosine)- lysine8-vasopressin, both OXT receptor antagonists, facilitated the development of a moderate morphine tolerance. The i.c.v. injection of either antagonist prevented the effects of i.c.v. and s.c. OXT treatment on the development of tolerance. The effect of desglycinamide9-OXT, but not that of Z-prolyl-D-leucine was also prevented by N-alpha-acetyl-(2-0-methyltyrosine)-OXT. It is concluded that OXT and desglycinamide9-OXT, but not Z-prolyl-D-leucine, attenuate morphine tolerance by affecting putative oxytocinergic binding sites in the mouse brain. The fact that i.c.v. injection of the receptor antagonist also blocked the effect of s.c. OXT treatment argues in favor of the possibility that a minor proportion of s.c. OXT (or behaviorally active fragments thereof) may reach central nervous system target sites.