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Evidence has been obtained that prazosin possesses a presynaptic alpha 2-adrenoceptor blocking action in the rat was deferens preparation stimulated at 1 Hz. In the presence of prazosin yohimbine failed to affect the presynaptic alpha 2-adrenoceptor stimulatory effect of 1-noradrenaline while the effect of xylazine was almost completely abolished. It is therefore suggested that there are two kinetically different prejunctional alpha 2-adrenoceptor sites.

The in vivo equivalent of pA2 values were determined in rat tail-flick and mouse hot-plate tests for naloxone against morphine, beta-endorphin and a synthetic enkephalin analog, (D-Met2,Pro5)-enkephalinamide, as analgesics. In mice the apparent pA2 value of naloxone against morphine (6.86) was similar to that found by previously and essentially the same values were obtained against the opioid peptides, indicating homogenous receptor population for the analgesics studied. In rats the pA2 of naloxone against morphine (7.17) was lower than against either beta-endorphin (7.55) or (D-Met2,Pro5)-enkephalinamide (7.51), warning that in rats such a homogeneity of the "analgesic" receptor population as was observed for mice may not exist.

We studied the opioid agonist activities of met-enkephalin-Arg6, Phe7 heptapeptide (ME-A,P) and its D-Ala2-analogue in several isolated organs including rabbit ear artery (ART), guinea-pig ileum (GPI) mouse-, rat and rabbit vas deferens preparation. Both heptapeptides followed the in vitro activity pattern of met-enkephalin (ME). There was a significant parallelism in the sensitivity of ART and mouse vas deferens to opioid peptides. In ART, ME-A,P must be converted by a captopril sensitive enzyme to exert opioid agonist action. Incubation of heptapeptide with membranes prepared from rabbit ear artery revealed the captopril-sensitive enzymic conversion of ME-AP to ME as detected by high voltage paper electrophoresis.

The effect of the opioid heptapeptide Met5-enkephalin-Arg6-Phe7 was measured on the contractions of the longitudinal muscle of the guinea-pig ileum and mouse vas deferens; on release of endogenous and newly synthesized acetylcholine from the longitudinal muscle strip preparation of the guinea-pig ileum and of 3H-noradrenaline from mouse vas deferens. Met5-enkephelin-Arg6-Phe7 depressed the contractions of the longitudinal muscle strip of guinea-pig ileum elicited by low frequency stimulation (IC50 366.5 +/- 71.5 nM). The Ke value of naltrexone against the heptapeptide was found to be 0.50 +/- 0.08 nM. Bestatin prolonged and strongly potentiated the action of the opioid peptide in this tissue while captopril proved to be only slightly effective. Met5-enkephalin-Arg6-Phe7 also inhibited neuroeffector transmission in the mouse vas deferens with an IC50 value of 9.44 +/- 2.24 nM. The Ke value of naltrexone was 6.33 +/- 1.22 nM against the heptapeptide. Met5-enkephalin-Arg6-Phe7 (10(-5) M) failed to affect the low frequency stimulated release of endogenous acetylcholine from the guinea-pig ileum preparation. Addition of either bestatin or captopril with the heptapeptide resulted in a reduction of acetylcholine output. The opioid peptide by itself decreased the release of newly synthesized acetylcholine outflow from this organ. Met5-enkephalin-Arg6-Phe7 also reduced the 3H-noradrenaline outflow from mouse vas deferens and this effect was antagonized by naltrexone. From our data we conclude that Met5-enkephalin-Arg6-Phe7 affects the neural transmission of peripheral autonomically innervated organs by depressing the release of neurotransmitter. In vitro it has enkephalin-like character with a preference for the so called delta receptor interaction.

Neonatal treatment of mice with opioid and dopamine antagonists (naloxone, haloperidol and sulpiride) failed to alter the in vitro responsiveness of vasa deferentia to opioid agonists in the adulthood. Single neonatal administration of some opioid or dopaminergic agonists, viz. Met-enkephalin and piribedil, tended to enhance the sensitivity of in vitro preparations to opioid agonists, tested in adult animals. Behavioural differences and late mortality were also observed.

The opioid activities of enkephalin analogues bearing D- or L-aminopentane-sulfonic/phosphonic acid at position 5 were studied in vitro, in electrically stimulated longitudinal muscle strip of guinea-pig ileum and mouse vas deferens preparations and in vivo in the rat tail-flick test. Using their in vitro effects Met-enkephalin-like, beta-endorphin-like, (nor)morphine-like and derivatives of intermediate character could be differentiated. Correlating the in vitro activities with the analgesic activity in vivo it is concluded that the enkephalin-like character in a pentapetide may hinder the expression of analgesic activity, when the compounds are given into the cerebroventricular system.

gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA, half-maximal inhibitory concentration, IC50 = 9.9 microM) and (-)-baclofen (IC50 = 4.5 microM) but not 10(-4) M muscimol, exerted a presynaptic inhibitory effect on cholinergic transmission in field-stimulated guinea-pig taenia coli preparations, in vitro. The antagonism by 10(-5) M (1S, 9R)-bicuculline methiodide was not specific for GABA agonists. The results suggest that the GABA receptors involved were of type B.

The inhibitory effects of various opiates on developing rat vas deferens were studied by determining the degree of depression of mechanical responses elicited by electrical field stimulation. All agonists showed decreased effects with maturation, but the decrease occurred at different times. With normorphine the loss of agonist activity was greatest at days 12-16, while with D-Met2,Pro5-enkephalinamide it was greatest at days 16-30. beta-Endorphin also was less effective in adult than 30-day preparations, but methionine enkephalin was ineffective at all ages. Morphine and normorphine were weak antagonists of opiate agonists in the adult preparations. These results indicate that the nature and pharmacologic sensitivity of opiate actions change with development.

As reported previously D-Met2,Pro5-enkephalinamide (EA) is a highly active enkephalin analogue. To examine its human tolerability male volunteers were treated s.c. with increasing doses (0.1-30.0 mg). The observed autonomic effects were as follows: feeling of heaviness in the limbs, dry mouth, pallor of the face and conjunctival injection. There was no significant change in blood pressure, pulse and respiratory frequency. The autonomic effects appeared within 15-30 min. However, its effects on mood and wakefulness i.e. slight drowsiness, decrease in psychic tension and emotional detachment developed only later. The serum prolactin level increased dose-dependently, while the growth hormone (HGH) content showed biphasic dose-response pattern. The TSH content increased only at the highest doses applied (10.0-30.0 mg).