Neuroprotective actions of GR89696, a highly potent and selective κ‐opioid receptor agonist

Abstract

1 The effect of a novel, highly potent and selective κ-opioid receptor agonist, GR89696, has been evaluated in two animal models of cerebral ischaemia: transient bilateral carotid artery occlusion in the Mongolian gerbil and permanent, unilateral middle cerebral artery occlusion in the mouse. 2 In the Mongolian gerbil model, administration of GR89696 (3 to 30 μg kg⁻¹, s.c.), immediately before and at 4h after insult, produced a dose-dependent reduction in the hippocampal CA₁ neuronal cell loss resulting from a 7-min bilateral carotid occlusion. Similar effects were obtained with two other κ-agonists, GR86014 (1 mg kg⁻¹, s.c.) and GR91272 (1 mg kg⁻¹, s.c.). The neuroprotective effect of GR89696 was completely blocked by prior administration of the opioid receptor antagonist, naltrexone, at 10 mg kg⁻¹, s.c. Repeated post-treatment with GR89696 (100 μg kg⁻¹, s.c.) or GR44821 (10 mg kg⁻¹, s.c.) was also effective in protecting completely the hippocampal CA₁ neurones from ischaemia-induced neurodegeneration. 3 In the permanent, unilateral middle cerebral artery occlusion model in the mouse, repeated administration of GR89696 at 300 μg kg⁻¹, s.c. produced a 50% reduction in cerebrocortical infarct volume. In these experiments GR89696 was dosed 5 min, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 h after occlusion on the first day and then three times daily for the next three days. GR89696 (300 μg kg⁻¹) also produced a significant 35% reduction in infarct volume in this model when the initiation of dosing was delayed for 6 h after the insult. 4 The results indicate that the potent κ-opioid receptor agonist, GR89696, is neuroprotective in both global and focal cerebral ischaemia models and suggest that, with this class of compound, there may be a considerable time window for pharmacological intervention.