kappa-Opioid receptor recognition sites are not modulated by local anaesthetics

Local anaesthetics and opioid drugs function synergistically to provide analgesia. In the present study, the nature of this synergy has been investigated using in vitro radioligand binding to determine whether the local anaesthetics bupivacaine and tetracaine modulate the binding of two kappa-opioid receptor ligands, [3H]U-69593 (5-alpha,7-alpha,8-beta-(-)-N-methyl-N[7-(1-pyrrolodinyl)-1-oxa spiro(4,5)dec-8-yl]-benzene acetamide) and [3H](-)-EKC (ethylketocyclazocine). [3H]U-69593 bound with a KD of 0.88 nM and a Bmax of 2.39 +/- 0.22 fmol/mg wet weight in guinea pig cerebellar membranes. The binding was inhibited by bremazocine and morphine with Hill slopes near unity and pI50 values of 9.96 and 6.84-6.86, respectively. [3H]U-69593 binding was inhibited by Gpp(NH)p (5'-guanylyl imidodiphosphate) and NaCl, consistent with an agonist action of the compound. The binding characteristics of the ligand were not changed by bupivacaine or tetracaine. [3H](-)-EKC bound with KD values of 0.55 and 0.97 nM and Bmax values of 4.22 and 0.99 fmol/mg wet weight in guinea pig cerebellar membranes and rat spinal cords, respectively. In the rat spinal cord, [3H](-)-EKC appeared to act as an agonist/antagonist, since the presence of Gpp(NH)p and NaCl only produced a small (21%) reduction in binding, but reduced the pI50 for the residual binding to inhibition by morphine from 6.33-6.39 to 5.95. As with [3H]U-69593, the binding characteristics of [3H](-)-EKC were not affected by bupivacaine or tetracaine. These studies demonstrate that effects of kappa-opioid receptor recognition site conformation are unlikely to explain the clinically observed synergy between local anaesthetics and opioids.