Effects of spinorphin and tynorphin on synaptic transmission in rat hippocampal slices

Spinorphin has been isolated from the bovine spinal cord as an endogenous inhibitor of enkephalin-degrading enzymes (aminopeptidase, dipeptidyl aminopeptidase III, angiotensin-converting enzyme and enkephalinase), and tynorphin has been synthesized as a more potent inhibitor of dipeptidyl aminopeptidase III. In this study, the effects of spinorphin and tynorphin on synaptic transmission were studied in rat isolated hippocampal slices. Field potentials were recorded from the CA1 region after stimulation of Schaffer collaterals. Spinorphin (1 microM), which alone had no effect, potentiated the facilitatory effects of enkephalin on the filed potentials at a stimulation interval of 15 s. At a stimulation interval of 10--4 s, spinorphin alone frequency dependently inhibited the field potential. On the other hand, tynorphin (1 microM), which alone had no effect at any stimulus interval, tended to potentiate the facilitatory effects of enkephalin. Spinorphin blocked long-term potentiation induced by tetanic stimulation (100 Hz, 1 s), whereas tynorphin had no effect on long-term potentiation. These results suggest that, at a low stimulation frequency, spinorphin potentiates the facilitatory effects of enkephalin by preventing degradation of enkephalin, whereas at a high stimulation frequency spinorphin use dependently inhibits synaptic transmission independently of enkephalin. On the other hand, tynorphin tends to potentiate the facilitatory effects of enkephalin without use-dependent inhibition.