Abstract

In neuroblastoma x glioma NG108-15 hybrid cells, opioid agonists inhibited both basal and prostaglandin E1-stimulated adenylate cyclase activities assayed in the presence of the phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors isobutylmethylxanthine and ZK62711 (rolipram). However, when intracellular [3H]cAMP was measured in the absence of the PDE inhibitors the maximal inhibitory level was increased, using the opioid agonist D-Ala2,D-Leu5-enkephalin. This increase in opioid activity was due to agonist stimulation of cAMP degradation, because when the degradation rate of [3H] cAMP was measured in intact hybrid cells it was observed to increase from the control value of 0.495 +/- 0.003 min-1 to 0.760 +/- 0.003 min-1 in the presence of 1 microM D-Ala2,D-Leu5-enkephalin; this was reversed by naloxone. Dose-dependent studies with various opioid agonists, partial agonists, and antagonists revealed that there was a direct correlation between the abilities of these opioid ligands to inhibit adenylate cyclase activity and to stimulate PDE activity, with enkephalin and its analogs being the most potent agonists. Chronic agonist treatment also resulted in a reduction of the opioid agonist stimulation of cAMP degradation, with an apparent decrease in the PDE activity upon addition of naloxone after chronic treatment. However, treatment of the hybrid cells with pertussis toxin, which attenuated the agonist inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity, did not abolish this opioid response. When selective inhibitors for various types of PDE were used, the type I PDE inhibitor W-7 attenuated the opioid effect, whereas the type II PDE inhibitor trequinsin (HL725), the type III PDE inhibitor indolidan, and the type IV PDE inhibitor rolipram had no effect on opioid-stimulated cAMP degradation. The stimulation of type I PDE activity by delta-opioid receptors was independent of extracellular Ca2+ and was not observed with membrane preparations. Therefore, in NG108-15 cells delta-opioid receptors regulate intracellular cAMP levels by coupling to a pertussis toxin-insensitive guanine nucleotide-binding protein, resulting in an increase in intracellular Ca2+ and in Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent PDE activity.