κ-Opioid receptor inhibition of calcium oscillations in spinal cord neurons.

ABSTRACT: Mouse embryonic spinal cord neurons in culture exhibit spontaneous calcium oscillations from day in vitro (DIV) 6 through DIV 10. Such spontaneous activity in developing spinal cord contributes to maturation of synapses and development of pattern-generating circuits. Here we demonstrate that these calcium oscillations are regulated by κ opioid receptors (KORs). The κ opioid agonist dynorphin (Dyn)-A (1-13) suppressed calcium oscillations in a concentration-dependent manner, and both the nonselective opioid antagonist naloxone and the κ-selective blocker norbinaltorphimine eliminated this effect. The KOR-selective agonist (+)-(5α,7α,8β)-N-methyl-N-[7-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-1-oxaspiro[4.5]dec-8-yl]-benzeneacetamide (U69593) mimicked the effect of Dyn-A (1-13) on calcium oscillations. A κ-specific

SUBMITTER: Kelamangalath L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3102554 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature