Development of neuropathic pain is accompanied by many changes in immune and glial cells. These changes correspond to activation of immune and glial cells that have been shown to influence the opioid effectiveness and can be modulated by minocycline (a potent inhibitor of microglial activation). In earlier study we have demonstrated that function of opioidergic neurons may be modulated by the immune system. These changes have been shown to be responsible for the efficacy of opioids. The aim of our study was to examine the effect of the minocycline-triggered inhibition of microglia activation on the injury-induced changes and the efficacy of mu and delta opioid receptor ligands in a rat model of neuropathic pain (chronic constriction injury to the sciatic nerve). In cell culture studies, we examined the influence of opioids (morphine, DAMGO, DPDPE, deltorphin II) on activated primary cultured rat microglia by using MTT and/or NO assays. All experiments were performed according to the IASP recommendations and were approved by a local Bioethics Committee. On the spinal cord level the injury to the sciatic nerve induced an up-regulation of IL-1beta, IL-6 expression, CX3CR1 and C1q (marker of microglia, macrophage and leukocyte activation). Chronic administration of minocycline not only diminished neuropathic pain-related behavior and C1q-positive cell activation, but also attenuate the changes in proinflammatory factors like IL1beta, IL-6 and CX3CR1 in the spinal cord and DRG. In in vivo experiments, the analgesic effects of mu-opioid (morphine and DAMGO), but not delta-opioid (DPDPE, deltorphin II) receptor ligands were lower in the rats under neuropathic pain. Moreover, the analgesic effects of morphine and DAMGO, but not DPDPE and deltorphin II were significantly potentiated by minocycline chronic administration. Our in vitro findings that non-stimulated microglia cells respond differently to opioids in comparisons with stimulated cells as measured by MTT and/or NO assays, corresponded well with the results of in vivo studies. Our study underlined that inhibition of microglial activation could differently influence analgesic effects of mu- but not delta-opioid ligands in injury-induced pathologies, which may influence the effect of various opioid drugs used in chronic pain therapy.
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