Effects of a Nociceptin Receptor Antagonist on Experimentally Induced Scratching Behavior in Mice
Neurophysiology, cilt.49, sa.2, ss.130-134, 2017 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 49 Sayı: 2
- Basım Tarihi: 2017
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s11062-017-9641-y
- Dergi Adı: Neurophysiology
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.130-134
- Anahtar Kelimeler: JTC-801, nociceptin, NOP receptors, pruritus, scratching, serotonin
- Trakya Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Itch and pain are two distressing sensations sharing a lot in common. In addition to the periphery, the central nervous system is proposed as a therapeutic target for the development of antipruritic drugs. The contribution of the most recently discovered opioid peptide, nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) and its receptor (NOP) in pain transmission is controversial. It seems to be pronociceptive when given supraspinally, but elicits an antinociceptive action when injected spinally. Here, we examined whether the N/OFQ system plays a role in experimentally induced pruritus. Scratching behavior was produced by intradermal administration of serotonin (50 μg/50 μl/mouse) or nociceptin (30 nmol/50 μl/mouse) to Balb/c mice. JTC-801 (1, 3 or 10 mg/kg, i.p.), a NOP receptor antagonist, attenuated both serotonin- and nociceptin-induced scratches. When given intradermally, JTC-801 (100 nmol) significantly reduced serotonin-induced but not nociceptin-induced scratches. We propose that antagonizing NOP receptors either systemically or localy may be a novel approach in the development of antipruritic agents.