Paradoxical potentiation of the exercise pressor reflex by endomorphin 2 in the presence of naloxone

When contracting muscles are freely perfused, the acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) on group IV afferents plays a minor role in evoking the exercise pressor reflex. We recently showed in isolated dorsal root ganglion neurons innervating the gastrocnemius muscles that two mu opioid receptor agonists, namely endomorphin 2 and oxycodone, potentiated the sustained inward ASIC3 current evoked by acidic solutions. This in vitro finding prompted us to determine whether endomorphin 2 and oxycodone, when infused into the arterial supply of freely perfused contracting hindlimb muscles, potentiated the exercise pressor reflex. We found that infusion of endomorphin 2 and naloxone in decerebrated rats potentiated the pressor responses to contraction of the triceps surae muscles. The endomorphin 2-induced potentiation of the pressor responses to contraction was prevented by infusion of APETx2, an ASIC3 antagonist. Specifically, the peak pressor response to contraction averaged 19.3 ± 5.6 mmHg for control ( = 10), 27.2 ± 8.1 mmHg after naloxone and endomorphin 2 infusion ( = 10), and 20 ± 8 mmHg after APETx2 and endomorphin 2 infusion ( = 10). Infusion of endomorphin 2 and naloxone did not potentiate the pressor responses to contraction in ASIC3 knockout rats ( = 6). Partly similar findings were observed when oxycodone was substituted for endomorphin 2. Oxycodone infusion significantly increased the exercise pressor reflex over its control level, but subsequent APETx2 infusion failed to restore the increase to its control level ( = 9). The peak pressor response averaged 23.1 ± 8.6 mmHg for control ( = 9), 33.2 ± 11 mmHg after naloxone and oxycodone were infused ( = 9), and 27 ± 8.6 mmHg after APETx2 and oxycodone were infused ( = 9). Our data suggest that after opioid receptor blockade, ASIC3 stimulation by the endogenous mu opioid, endomorphin 2, potentiated the exercise pressor reflex. This paper provides the first in vivo evidence that endomorphin 2, an endogenous opioid peptide, can paradoxically increase the magnitude of the exercise pressor reflex by an ASIC3-dependent mechanism even when the contracting muscles are freely perfused.