Decrease of morphine-CPP by sinomenine via mediation of tyrosine hydroxylase, NMDA receptor subunit 2B and opioid receptor in the zebrafish brain

Pak J Pharm Sci. 2021 Sep;34(5):1659-1665.

Abstract

To study the effects of sinomenine on conditioned place preference (CPP) zebrafish induced by morphine and expression levels of intracephalic tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), NMDA receptor subunit 2B (NR2B), μ-opioid receptor (zfmor) and δ-opioid receptors (zfdor1 and zfdor2), morphine (40mg/kg) was administrated to zebrafish and the effect of CPP was detected in these zebrafish treated with sinomenine. The expression of TH and NR2B was detected by immunohistochemistry; and the mRNA expression of opioid receptors zfmor, zfdor1 and zfdor2 in the zebrafish brain was assayed by RT-qPCR. In the CPP test, morphine induced significant behavioral alteration, while pretreatment with sinomenine or methadone, resulted in decreased activity time in the morphine-paired compartment significantly. Morphine also increased the integral optical density value of TH- and NR2B-positive cells in the zebrafish brain, and reduced the amount of opioid receptors. However, the compound sinomenine could attenuate these effects. These findings demonstrate that sinomenine (80mg/kg) decreased the CPP effects of zebrafish induced by morphine significantly, downregulated expression of TH and NR2B, and upregulated μ-opioid (zfmor) and δ-opioid (zfdor1 and zfdor2) receptor expression in the CPP zebrafish brains.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • Morphinans / pharmacology*
  • Morphine / pharmacology*
  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / genetics
  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Opioid / genetics
  • Receptors, Opioid / metabolism*
  • Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / genetics
  • Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / metabolism*
  • Zebrafish

Substances

  • Morphinans
  • NR2B NMDA receptor
  • Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate
  • Receptors, Opioid
  • sinomenine
  • Morphine
  • Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase