Opioid agonists modulate release of neurotransmitters in bovine trachealis muscle

Stimulation of opioid receptors in the airways can modulate cholinergic neurotransmission and thereby reduce bronchoconstriction. This protecting effect of opioids against bronchoconstriction may be of clinical interest. Inhalation of opioids as a method of analgesia is likely to result in an opioid concentration at airway receptors sufficient to protect against bronchoconstriction; the concentration may be insufficient when opioids are administered by conventional techniques. In addition, new selective opioids may be developed that could more selectively protect the airways against bronchoconstriction.

The effect of three selective opioid agonists on the contractile response to electric field stimulation (EFS) was studied in isolated muscle strips from four regions of the bovine trachea (upper, or laryngeal; upper middle; lower middle; lower, or carinal).

The selective kappa agonist trans-3,4-dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-1-pyrrolidinyl) cyclohexyl benzene acetamide (U-50488 H) and the selective mu-opioid agonist D-Ala2-N-MePhe4-Gly-ol5-enkephalin (DAMGO) reduced significantly (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively) the contractile response to EFS. The attenuation of the contractile response by U-50488 H was concentration-dependent (P < 0.0001) and tended to be larger at low stimulating frequencies (P = 0.055). The attenuation of the contractile response by DAMGO was frequency-dependent (P < 0.01). The selective delta-opioid agonist D-penicillamine2-D-penicillamine5-enkephalin had no significant effect on the contractile response to EFS (P = 0.71). There were no significant differences among the four regions of the trachea in their responses to the selective opioid agonists U-50488 H (P = 0.50) and DAMGO (P = 0.44). Neither U-50488 H nor DAMGO altered the contractile response to acetylcholine P > 0.11, P > 0.21, respectively), suggesting that the opioid agonists have a prejunctional effect. The attenuation of the contractile response to EFS by U-50488 H was partially but significantly antagonized by 10(-5) M naloxone (P < 0.01) and by 10(-5) and 10(-6) M of the selective kappa-opioid antagonist 2,2'-[1,1'-biphenyl] 4,4'-diyl- bis [2-hydroxy-4,4-dimethyl-morpholinium] (P < 0.05). Naloxone (10(-5) M) abolished the inhibitory effect of DAMGO, suggesting that opioid receptors are involved in the attenuation of the contractile response to EFS afforded by DAMGO and U-50488 H.

We conclude that prejunctional kappa- and mu-opioid receptors attenuate the contractile response of isolated bovine trachealis muscle to EFS by inhibiting cholinergic neurotransmission. This effect is uniform throughout the trachealis muscle. delta-Opioid receptors are apparently not present in the bovine trachealis muscle. Caution must be used in extrapolating these results to the intact human. In this study little or no inhibitory effect of the opioids was observed at concentrations expected at airway receptor sites when administered by conventional techniques. However, the effect may be large enough to protect against bronchoconstriction when nebulized opioids are administered by inhalation.