Effects of a μ-opioid receptor agonist on G-protein activation in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice

Many clinical and experimental studies have suggested that diabetes or hyperglycemia alter pain sensitivity, and sensitivity to several drugs. It has been reported that the antinociceptive potency of morphine is decreased in several rodent models of hyperglycemia, including streptozotocin-induced diabetes, an animal models of type I diabetes. The present study was designed to investigate in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice the effect of the selective μ-opioid agonist [D-Ala², NMePhe⁴, Gly-ol⁵]enkephalin (DAMGO) on G-protein activation by monitoring guanosine-5'-O-(3-[³⁵S]thio)triphosphate ([³⁵S]GTPγS) binding to pons/medulla membranes, which contain the key areas for opioid antinociception. In the tail-flick test, DAMGO (1-10 ng, intracerebroventricularly) produced a marked dose-dependent antinociception in non-diabetic mice. In streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice, the effect of DAMGO was significantly attenuated as compared to that in non-diabetic mice. In the [³⁵S]GTPγS binding assay, DAMGO (0.1-10 μM) increased the binding of [³⁵S]GTPγS to pons/medulla membranes from non-diabetic mice in a concentration-dependent manner, affording approximately 100% maximal stimulation at 10 μM. The maximal stimulation of [³⁵S]GTPγS binding by DAMGO (10 μM) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice (100.55±3.12%), was similar to non-diabetic mice. The present results indicated that the antinociceptive effect of DAMGO given supraspinally was less potent in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice than that in non-diabetic mice, whereas the μ-opioid receptor-mediated G-protein activation in pons/medulla was unaltered in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. Thus, the attenuation of DAMGO-induced antinociception in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice is probably caused by dysfunction in cellular pathways after the activation of G-proteins. Copyright (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.