Nociceptin/orphanin FQ contributes to hypoxic/ischemic impairment of hypercapnic cerebrovasodilation

Previous studies in piglets show that hypercapnic pial artery dilation was blunted following cerebral ischemia. Unrelated studies show that the newly described opioid nociceptin orphanin FQ (NOC/oFQ) is released into cerebrospinal fluid and contributes to altered cerebral hemodynamics following hypoxia/ischemia. This study was designed to determine the contribution of NOC/oFQ to hypoxic/ischemic impairment of hypercapnic pial dilation in piglets equipped with a closed cranial window. Global cerebral ischemia was produced via elevated intracranial pressure. Hypoxia decreased P(O2) to 34 +/- 3 mmHg. Topical NOC/oFQ (10(-10) M), the CSF concentration following hypoxia/ischemia, had no effect on pial artery diameter by itself but attenuated hypercapnia P(CO2) of (73 +/- 2 mmHg)-induced pial artery dilation (28 +/- 2 vs. 19 +/- 2%). Hypercapnia pial artery dilation was blunted by hypoxia/ischemia but such dilation was partially protected by pretreatment with the putative NOC/oFQ receptor antagonist, [F/G] NOC/oFQ (1-13) NH(2) (10(-6) M), (25 +/- 1, sham control; 4 +/- 1, hypoxia/ischemia; and 12 +/- 3%, hypoxia/ischemia + [F/G] NOC/oFQ (1-13) NH(2), respectively). These data suggest that NOC/oFQ release contributes to impaired hypercapnia-induced cerebrovasodilation following hypoxia/ischemia.