Antinociception produced by 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid is mediated by the activation of β-endorphin and met-enkephalin in the rat ventrolateral periaqueductal gray

Cytochrome P450 genes catalyze formation of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) from arachidonic acid. The effects of 5,6-EET, 8,9-EET, 11,12-EET, and 14,15-EET microinjected into the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) on the thermally produced tail- flick response were studied in male Sprague- Dawley rats. 14,15-EET microinjected into vlPAG (3-156 pmol) dosedependently inhibited the tail- flick response (ED50 = 32.5 pmol). In contrast, 5,6-EET, 8,9-EET, and 11,12-EET at a dose of 156 pmol were not active when injected into the vlPAG. 14,15EET failed to displace the radiobinding of [H-3][ D-Ala(2), NHPe(4), Gly-ol(5)] enkephalin (mu-opioid receptor ligand) or [H-3] naltrindole (mu-opioid receptor ligand) in crude membrane fractions of rat brain. Tail- flick inhibition produced by 14,15-EET from vlPAG was blocked by intra-vlPAG pretreatment with antiserum against beta-endorphin or Met-enkephalin or the delta-opioid receptor antagonist D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Orn-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH2 (CTOP) or the kappa-opioid receptor antagonist naltrindole but not with dynorphin A[1-17] antiserum or the delta-opioid receptor antagonist nor-binaltorphimine. In addition, tail-flick inhibition produced by 14,15-EET treatment was blocked by intrathecal pretreatment with Met-enkephalin antiserum, naltrindole, or CTOP but not with beta-endorphin antiserum. It is concluded that 1) 14,15-EET itself does not have any affinity for mu- or delta- opioid receptors and 2) 14,15-EET activates beta-endorphin and Met-enkephalin, which subsequently act on mu- and delta-opioid receptors to produce antinociception.