Pharmacological characterization of the nociceptin receptor mediating hyperalgesia in the mouse tail withdrawal assay

摘要

The newly discovered neuropeptide nociceptin(NC) has recently been reported to be the endogenous ligand of the opioid-like orphan receptor. Despite its structural similarity to opioids, when injected intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) in the mouse, NC exerts a direct hyperalgesic effect and reverses opioid- induced analgesia. In the present investigation, these two effects of NC were evaluated under the same experimental conditions; in addition, a pharmacological characterization of the receptor mediating these central effects of NC was attempted.