Stress-induced p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation mediates κ-opioid-dependent dysphoria

The molecular mechanisms mediating stress-induced dysphoria in humans and conditioned place aversion in rodents are unknown. Here, we show that repeated swim stress caused activation of both kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase ( MAPK) coexpressed in GABAergic neurons in the nucleus accumbens, cortex, and hippocampus. Sites of activation were visualized using phosphoselective antibodies against activated kappa receptors (KOR-P) and against phospho-p38 MAPK. Surprisingly, the increase in P-p38-IR caused by swim-stress exposure was completely KOR dependent; P-p38-IR did not increase in KOR(-/-) knock-out mice subjected to the same swim-paradigm or in wild-type mice pretreated with the KOR antagonist norbinaltorphimine. To understand the relationship between p38 activation and the behavioral effects after KOR activation, we administered the p38 inhibitor SB203580 [ 4-( 4-fluorophenyl)- 2-( 4- methylsulfonylphenyl)- 5-( 4- pyridyl)- 1H- imidazole (i.c.v.)] and found that it selectively blocked the conditioned place aversion caused by the kappa agonist trans-3,4-dichloro- N-methyl-N-[ 2-(1-pyrrolidinyl) cyclohexyl]- benzeneacetamide (U50488) and the KOR-dependent swim stress-induced immobility while not affecting kappa-opioid analgesia or nonselectively affecting associative learning. We found that the mechanism linking KOR and p38 activation in vivo was consistent with our previous in vitro data suggesting that beta-arrestin recruitment is required; mice lacking G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 3 also failed to increase p-p38-IR after KOR activation in vivo, failed to show swim stress-induced immobility, or develop conditioned place aversion to U50488. Our results indicate that activation of p38 MAPK signaling by the endogenous dynorphin-kappa-opioid system likely constitutes a key component of the molecular mechanisms mediating the aversive properties of stress.