NOC/oFQ contributes to hypoxic-ischemic impairment of N-methyl-D-aspartate-induced cerebral vasodilation

Previous studies in piglets show that tither hypoxia, ischemia-reperfusion (I+R) or combined hypoxia-ischemia-reperfusion (H+I+R) attenuated N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced pial artery dilation. This study was designed to determine the contribution of the newly described opioid nociceptin orphanin FQ (NOC/oFQ) to hypoxic-ischemic impairment of NMDA induced cerebral vasodilation in piglets equipped with a closed cranial window. Global cerebral ischemia was produced via elevated intracranial pressure. Hypoxia decreased P-O2 to 35+/-3 mmHg with unchanged P-CO2. I+R elevated CSF NOC/oFQ from 67+/-4 to 266+/-29 pg/ml (approximate to 10(-10) M) while H+I+R elevated CSF NOC/oFQ to 483+/-67 pg/ml within 1 h of reperfusion. Such elevated NOC/oFQ levels returned to control within 4 h in I+R animals and within 12 h in H+I+R animals. Topical NOC/oFQ (10(-10) M) had no effect on pial artery diameter by itself but attenuated NMDA (10(-8), 10(-6) M) induced pial dilation (control, 9+/-1 and 16+/-1; coadministered NOC/oFQ, 5+/-1 and 10+/-1%). NMDA induced pial artery dilation was attenuated by I+R or H+I+R; but such dilation was partially restored by pretreatment with the putative NOC/oFQ antagonist [F/G] NOC/oFQ (1-13) NH2 (10(-6) M) (control, 9+/-1 and 16+/-1; I+R, 3+/-1 and 5+/-1; I+R+NOC/oFQ antagonist, 6+/-1 and 11+/-1%). Similar results were obtained for glutamate. These data suggest that NOC/oFQ release contributes to impaired NMDA and glutamate-induced cerebrovasodilation following I+R or H+I+R. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.