Reversion of muscarinic autoreceptor agonist-induced acetylcholine decrease and learning impairment by dynorphin A (1–13), an endogenous κ-opioid receptor agonist

Abstract

1. We investigated whether carbachol, a muscarinic receptor agonist, induces learning and memory impairment, and if so, dynorphin A (1–13), an endogenous κ-opioid receptor agonist, ameliorates the impairment of learning and memory induced by carbachol, by use of a step-through type passive avoidance task.

2. Carbachol induced a dose-related dual response. Carbachol (1.66 pmol per rat) administered directly into the hippocampus significantly shortened the step-through latency, while lower (0.166 pmol per rat) and higher (16.6 pmol per rat) doses of carbachol did not induce learning or memory impairment.

3. Dynorphin A (1–13) (0.5 nmol per rat, i.c.v.) administered 5 min after carbachol injection significantly reversed carbachol-induced impairment of learning and memory.

4. Perfusion with carbachol (3×10⁻⁴ M) significantly decreased acetylcholine release in the hippocampus during perfusion as determined by in vivo brain microdialysis. This decrease in acetylcholine release was suppressed by co-perfusion with a low dose of atropine (10⁻⁷ M).

5. Dynorphin A (1–13) (0.5 nmol per rat, i.c.v.) immediately before carbachol perfusion completely blocked this decrease in extracellular acetylcholine concentration induced by carbachol.

6. These antagonistic effects of dynorphin A (1–13) were abolished by treatment with nor-binaltorphimine (5.44 nmol per rat, i.c.v.), a selective κ-opioid receptor antagonist, 5 min before dynorphin A (1–13) treatment.

7. These results suggest that the neuropeptide dynorphin A (1–13) ameliorates the carbachol-induced impairment of learning and memory, accompanied by attenuation of the reductions in acetylcholine release which may be associated with dysfunction of presynaptic cholinergic neurones via κ-opioid receptors.

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