Effects of kappa-opioid agonist U-50488 and p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 on the spike activity of pyramidal neurons in the basolateral amygdala

Introduction: Kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) signaling in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) underlies KOR agonist-induced aversion. In this study, we aimed to understand the individual and combined effects of KOR agonist U-50488 and p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580 on the spiking activity of pyramidal neurons in the BLA to shed light on the complex interplay between KORs, the p38 MAPK, and neuronal excitability. Materials and Methods: Electrophysiological experiments were performed using the patch-clamp technique in the whole-cell configuration. Rat brain slices containing the amygdala were prepared, and pyramidal neurons within the BLA were visually patched and recorded in the current clamp mode. The neurons were identified by their accommodation properties and neural activity signals were amplified and analyzed. Using local perfusion, we obtained three dose-response curves for: (a) U-50488 (0.001–10 μM); (b) U-50488 (0.001–10 μM) in the presence of SB203580 (1 μM); and (c) U-50488 (0.01–10 μM) in the presence of SB203580 (5 μM). Results: After the application of U-50488, pyramidal neurons had a higher action potential firing rate in response to a current injection than control neurons (p<0.001). The dose-dependent curves we obtained indicate that the combination of U-50488 and SB203580 results in non-competitive antagonism. This conclusion is supported by the observed change in the curve’s slope with reduction in the maximum effect of U-50488. Thus, it can be assumed that the increase in spike activity of pyramidal neurons of the amygdala is mediated through the beta-arrestin pathway. When this pathway is blocked, the spike activity reverts to its baseline level. Conclusion: Our study found that the KOR agonist-induced spiking activity of the BLA pyramidal neurons is mediated by the beta-arrestin pathway and can be suppressed by the application of the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB203580.