Currents in Guinea Pig CA3 Pyramidal Cells
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The Journal of Neuroscience, September 1994. 14(g): 55806589 Kp Opioid Receptors Inhibit NMDA Receptor-mediated Synaptic Currents in Guinea Pig CA3 Pyramidal Cells Robert M. Caudle,’ Charles Chavkin,* and Ronald Dubner’ ‘Neurobiology and Anesthesiology Branch, National Institute of Dental Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892 and *Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington,‘Seattle, Washington 98195 The role of the endogenous opioid peptide dynorphin (l- 17) dynorphin’s concentration in the spinal cord increasesfollowing in regulating NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic currents was peripheral tissue and nerve injury (Iadarola et al., 1988; Nahin examined in guinea pig hippocampus. Schaffer collateral/ et al., 1989; Kajander et al., 1990), and spinal cord injury (Faden commissural fiber-evoked NMDA synaptic currents were re- et al., 1985), and that its concentration in the hippocampus corded using whole-cell patch-clamp techniques in CA3 py- increases(Lee et al., 1987) and decreases(McGinty et al., 1986) ramidal cells. Dynorphin was found to have dual effects on following seizures.These studies of endogenousdynorphin have NMDA synaptic currents, increasing currents at low concen- also provided little information concerning dynorphin’s role in trations and decreasing currents at high concentrations. Only the CNS. In our present course of investigation, we have nar- the inhibitory action of dynorphin was sensitive to naloxone, rowed our studiesto structures that have dynorphin-containing indicating that this effect was mediated by an opioid recep- afferents that were demonstrated to release dynorphin under tor. The inhibitory effect was mimicked by bremazocine, but physiological conditions. The logic behind this approach is that not by U69,593, U50,466, [D-Ala*, KMe-Phe4, Gly-oll-en- an effect of exogenous dynorphin should be demonstrable for kephalin, or [D-PerV]-enkephalin. Bremazocine’s effect was endogenousdynorphin. Thus, if exogenousand endogenousdy- blocked by naloxone, but not by nor-binaltorphimine, cypro- norphin produce similar effects it is likely that a physiological dime, or naltrindole. These findings suggest that bremazo- function for dynorphin was demonstrated. tine’s effect was mediated by the K2 subtype of opioid re- The hippocampus of rodents contains a substantial concen- ceptor. In addition, 1 AM naloxone and antisera to dynorphin tration of dynorphin. This dynorphin resides primarily in the (l-1 7) were found to increase NMDA-mediated synaptic cur- mossy fiber pathway that extends from the dentate granule cells rents. Nor-binaltorphimine, cyprodime, naltrindole, and an- to the CA3 pyramidal cells (Gall et al., 1981; McGinty et al., tisera to met-enkephalin did not increase the NMDA synaptic 1983; McLean et al., 1987). The mossy fibers serve as the major current. These findings suggest that endogenous dynorphin excitatory input to the CA3 region. Previous attempts to dem- was acting at K2 receptors to inhibit NMDA receptor-medi- onstrate effects of dynorphin and other K-S&&T opioids in the ated synaptic currents. Overall, these findings indicate that CA3 region of the rodent hippocampuswere either unsuccessful dynorphin is an endogenous agonist for K* receptors in the (Caudle and Chavkin, 1990) or ambiguous(Moises and Walker, CA3 region of the guinea pig hippocampus and that these 1985). On the other hand, we demonstrated that K agonists, receptors regulate NMDA receptor function. including dynorphin, inhibit excitatory transmitter releasefrom [Key words: opioids, dynorphin, kappa receptors, N-me- the perforant path onto dentate granule cells in guinea pig hip- thy/-D-aspartate receptors (NMDA), whole cell patch clamp, pocampus(Wagner et al., 1992,1993). Other groups have found hippocampus, guinea pig, CA31 that dynorphin, through K receptors, inhibits calcium currents and calcium action potentials in cultured dorsal root ganglion The opioid peptide dynorphin is thought to be the endogenous cells(Werz and MacDonald, 1985; MacDonald and Werz, 1986; ligand for K-opioid receptors (Chavkin et al., 1982). This peptide Gross and MacDonald, 1987). Therefore, we proposed that the has been examined in numerous models in order to determine inhibition of calcium currents was likely to be the mechanism its functional role in the CNS. The effects produced by exoge- for K receptor-mediated inhibition of excitatory amino acid re- nously applied dynorphin vary from neurotoxicity (Caudle and leasefrom the perforant path (Wagner et al., 1992, 1993). Isaac, 1987) to inhibition of calcium potentials (Werz and Mac- Using the K,-SekCtiVe ligand 3H-U69,593 for autoradiogra- Donald, 1985; MacDonald and Werz, 1986; Gross and Mac- phy, we found that virtually all of the specific binding was lo- Donald, 1987). These differing actions of exogenousdynorphin cated in the molecular layer of the guinea pig dentate gyrus have not provided a clear answerto dynorphin’s function in the (Wagner et al., 1991, 1992). This pattern of binding by 3H- CNS. Adding to the confusion are reports demonstrating that U69,593 explained the lack of effect of this compound in the CA3 region of the guinea pig hippocampus in our physiological studies(Caudle and Chavkin, 1990). However, Weisskopf et al. Received Sept. 13, 1993; revised Mar. 17, 1994; accepted Mar. 24, 1994. (1993) reported that U69,593 had inhibitory effectsin the guinea We thank Drs. Gene Williams and Ke Ren for their comments and advice in pig CA3. Given the lack of binding sites for U69,593 in this the preparation ofthis manuscript. C.C. is supported by U.S. Public Health Service region of the guinea pig hippocampus, Weisskopf et al.‘s findings Grant DA04 123. Correspondence should be addressed to R. M. Caudle, NAB, NIDR, NIH, are difficult to interpret. Building 49/Roam IA-1 1, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892. Recently, evidence was presented indicating the existence of Copyright 0 1994 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/94/145580-10$05.00/O at least two subtypes of K-opioid receptors (Neck et al., 1988, The Journal of Neuroscience, September 1994, M(9) 5581 1990, 1993; Zukin et al., 1988; Rothman et al., 1992). U69,593 Stimulating Electrode selectively binds to one of these sites and this site has been labeled the K, receptor. Compounds like ethylketocyclazocine and bremazocine, in the presence of p- and &opioid receptor blockers, bind to the U69,593 binding site and to another site with approximately equal affinity. The U69,593-insensitive site has been labeled the K2 receptor (Zukin et al., 1988; Rothman et al., 1992) or the t receptor (Neck et al., 1990, 1993). Auto- radiographic studies of K-Opioid binding sites using either 3H- ethylketocyclazocine or 3H-bremazocine in guinea pig hippo- campus resulted in binding to both the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus and the stratum lucidum of the CA3 (McLean et al., 1986; Zukin et al., 1988). The binding in the CA3 contrasts with ‘H-U69,593 binding (Wagner et al., 199 1, 1992), and sug- gests that these sites are K2 or t receptors. The close proximity of the K2 binding sites in the guinea pig / CA3 to the terminals of the dynorphin-containing mossy fibers, Kappas Receptors as compared to the K, binding sites in the dentate gyrus, suggests that dynorphin may be an endogenous ligand for this receptor. Figure 1. Diagrammaticrepresentation of a guineapig hippocampal If endogenous dynorphin acts at K2 receptors, the question then slice.The cellthat the patchelectrode is connected to isa CA3 pyramidal cell. The stimulatingelectrode is placedin the Schaffercollateral/com- becomes what physiological function do K2 receptors perform missuralpathway. The gray shadedarea representsthe location of NMDA and how can we measure that function? Several studies have receptorsin the CA3 regionof the guineapig hippocampus.The hatched suggested that dynorphin may play a role in the regulation of urea representsthe locationof U69,593-insensitivebremazocine bind- NMDA receptors (Caudle and Isaac, 1988a,b; Bakshi and Fa- ing sites(K2 receptors)in the guineapig hippocampus. den, 1990a,b; Faden et al., 1990; Isaac et al., 1990; Shukla et al., 1992; Skilling et al., 1992). In these studies, selective an- ceptor physiology and dynorphin’s effects on K2 receptors, it was tagonists to the NMDA receptor complex blocked the effects of necessaryto dissectK, , K2, and nonopioid effectsfrom eachother. exogenously applied dynorphin. The results of these experi- To avoid the influence of K, receptors, the CA3 region of the ments suggest that dynorphin may potentiate NMDA receptor guinea pig hippocampus was chosen for study. As previously function. However, several other studies have demonstrated mentioned, this region of the guinea pig hippocampuslacks 3H- that dynorphin has inhibitory actions in the CNS. In addition U69,593,binding sites (Wagner et al., 1992) and is innervated to the K, inhibitory effects, several investigators have found neu- by a dynorphinergic fiber bundle (Gall et al., 198 1; McGinty et roprotective (Baskin et al., 1984; Garant et al., 1985), inhibitory al., 1983; McLean et al., 1987). Using whole-cell voltage-clamp (Stevens et al., 1987; Stewart and Isaac, 199 l), and both excit- techniques, we demonstrate that K2 receptors inhibit NMDA- atory and inhibitory effects of dynorphin (Moises and Walker, mediated synaptic currents in the CA3 region of the guinea pig 1985; Knox and Dickenson, 1987; Hylden et al., 199 1) that may hippocampus, and evidence is presented that endogenousdy- or may not be mediated by