Jpn. J. Pharmacol. 81 (2), 209-215 (1999)


Time Course of Changes in ƒÊ-Opioid Receptor mRNA Levels in the Periaqueductal Gray of Rat Brain by a Single or Repeated Injections of Antisense Oligodeoxynucleotides

Masanobu Yoshikawa1, Kouichi Yokogami2, Ken Kitamura1, Tomomi Kobayashi1, Masayuki Kanai1, Takao Taniguchi1, Kazuhito Akahori1, Masaru Nakabayashi1, Kayoko Iwao1, Masao Hyodo2 and Tetsuo Oka1


1Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tokai University, Isehara 259 - 1193, Japan
2Department of Biological Science and Technology, Tokai University School of High-Technology for Human Welfare,
Numazu 410 - 0395, Japan


Abstract: The effect of phosphorothioated antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (AS ODN) against the ƒÊ-opioid receptor (MOR) on MOR mRNA level in the periaqueductal gray (PAG) of rat brain was investigated. The MOR mRNA levels at 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after MOR AS ODN microinjection into the PAG were determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The MOR mRNA level was significantly decreased only at 12 h after the injection of 10 ƒÊg MOR AS ODN. When 10 ƒÊg MOR AS ODN was given three times at the interval of 48 h, MOR mRNA levels were significantly decreased at 6, 12 and 24 h after the last injection of the AS ODN. However, MOR mRNA levels were not significantly changed by three injections at 48-h interval of MOR sense ODN or AS ODNs against ƒÂ- and ƒÈ-opioid receptors, although the two latter AS ODNs significantly reduced the respective targeted mRNA levels. In conclusion, the present results show that the selective decrease in MOR mRNA is at least one reason why the reported diminished effects of MOR agonists are produced in animals pretreated with MOR AS ODN, although they could be produced through several mechanisms in which MOR mRNA level does not change.

Keywords: Antisense oligodeoxynucleotide, ƒÊ-Opioid receptor, mRNA level,
RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction)


Copyright© The Japanese Pharmacological Society 1999

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