Opioid receptor agonists in the rabbit colon: comparison of in vivo and in vitro studies.

Myoelectrical activity was recorded in the proximal and distal colon of rabbits using chronically implanted electrodes. The motility in both the proximal and distal colon was inhibited by the intravenous (IV) administration of the following opioid agonists for mu receptors: morphine and fentanyl, kappa receptors: ethylketazocine (EKC) and U 50 488 H, and delta receptors: D-Ala2 D-Leu5-enkephalin (DADLE) and D-Ser2 Leu-enkephalin-Thr6 (DSLET). In contrast, the myoelectric activity in the distal colon was increased during the infusion of an endogenous kappa opioid agonist, dynorphin (DYN). All of these effects were prevented by naloxone pretreatment. During in vitro studies using extraluminal force transducers, fentanyl, U 50 488 H and DSLET inhibited spontaneous contractions of the proximal colon, but U 50 488 H and DSLET caused a substantial increase in the motility of the distal colon. The observed motor responses in the proximal and distal colon following opioid agonist administration indicate that the control of these two intestinal segments may be different. It is suggested that the stimulatory effect of dynorphin on the distal colon is peripherally-mediated while inhibition of the whole colon by opioid agonists regardless of subtypes seems to be centrally-mediated.