RGD Reference Report - delta opioid receptor modulation of several voltage-dependent Ca(2+) currents in rat sensory neurons. - Rat Genome Database

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delta opioid receptor modulation of several voltage-dependent Ca(2+) currents in rat sensory neurons.

Authors: Acosta, CG  Lopez, HS 
Citation: Acosta CG and Lopez HS, J Neurosci. 1999 Oct 1;19(19):8337-48.
RGD ID: 2316594
Pubmed: PMID:10493735   (View Abstract at PubMed)
PMCID: PMC6783030   (View Article at PubMed Central)

Endogenous enkephalins and delta opiates affect sensory function and pain sensation by inhibiting synaptic transmission in sensory circuits via delta opioid receptors (DORs). DORs have long been suspected of mediating these effects by modulating voltage-dependent Ca(2+) entry in primary sensory neurons. However, not only has this hypothesis never been validated in these cells, but in fact several previous studies have only turned up negative results. By using whole-cell current recordings, we show that the delta enkephalin analog [D-Ala(2), D-Leu(5)]-enkephalin (DADLE) inhibits, via DORs, L-, N-, P-, and Q-high voltage-activated Ca(2+) channel currents in cultured rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. The percentage of responding cells was remarkably high (75%) within a novel subpopulation of substance P-containing neurons compared with the other cells (18-35%). DADLE (1 microM) inhibited 32% of the total barium current through calcium channels (I(Ba)). A delta (naltrindole, 1 microM), but not a mu (beta-funaltrexamine, 5 microM), antagonist prevented the DADLE response, whereas a DOR-2 subtype (deltorphin-II, 100 nM), but not a DOR-1 (DPDPE, 1 microM), agonist mimicked the response. L-, N-, P-, and Q-type currents contributed, on average, 18, 48, 14, and 16% to the total I(Ba) and 19, 50, 26, and 20% to the DADLE-sensitive current, respectively. The drug-insensitive R-type current component was not affected by the agonist. This work represents the first demonstration that DORs modulate Ca(2+) entry in sensory neurons and suggests that delta opioids could affect diverse Ca(2+)-dependent processes linked to Ca(2+) influx through different high-voltage-activated channel types.

Gene Ontology Annotations    Click to see Annotation Detail View

Biological Process
TermQualifierEvidenceWithReferenceNotesSourceOriginal Reference(s)
regulation of calcium ion transport  IMP 2316594 RGD 

Objects Annotated

Genes (Rattus norvegicus)
Oprd1  (opioid receptor, delta 1)


Additional Information