Two series of experiments were performed in the isolated perfused rat heart to determine the role of κ- and δ-opioid receptors (OR) in cardioprotection of ischemic preconditioning (IP). In the first series of experiments, it was found that IP with two cycles of 5-min regional ischemia followed by 5-min reperfusion each reduced infarct size induced by 30-min ischemia, and the ameliorating effect of IP on infarct was attenuated with blockade of either 5 × 10−6 mol/l nor-binaltorphimine (nor-BNI), a selective κ-OR antagonist, or 5 × 10−6 mol/l naltrindole (NTD), a selective δ-OR antagonist. The second series showed that U50,488H, a selective κ-OR agonist, ord-Ala2-d-leu5-enkephalin (DADLE), a selective δ-OR agonist, dose dependently reduced the infarct size induced by ischemia, which mimicked the effects of IP. The effect of 10−5 mol/l U50,488H on infarct was significantly attenuated by blockade of protein kinase C (PKC) with specific PKC inhibitors, 5 × 10−6 mol/l chelerythrine or 8 × 10−7 mol/l calphostin C, as well as by blockade of ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels with blockers of the channel, 10−5 mol/l glibenclamide or 10−4 mol/l 5-hydroxydecanoate. IP also reduced arrhythmia induced by ischemia. Nor-BNI, but not NTD, attenuated, while U50,488H, but not DADLE, mimicked the antiarrhythmic action of IP. In conclusion, the present study has provided first evidence that κ-OR mediates the ameliorating effects of IP on infarct and arrhythmia induced by ischemia, whereas δ-OR mediates the effects only on infarct. Both PKC and KATP channels mediate the effect of activation of κ-OR on infarct.
Electrophysiological mechanism for the antiarrhythmic action of propafenone: a comparison with mexiletine
