Delta-opioid receptor activation prevents appearance of irreversible damages of cardiomyocytes and exacerbates myocardial contractility dysfunction during ischemia and reperfusion

It is shown that prestimulation of cardiac delta-opioid receptors (OR) by selective agonists (DPDPE and TAN-67) decreases creatine kinase levels in the coronary effluent of isolated rat heart during 45-min global ischemia and 30-min reperfusion. This effect was completely abolished by pretreatment with a delta-antagonist naltrindole or a non-selective agonist naloxone. It was found that preactivation of cardiac delta-OR exacerbates reperfusion contractility dysfunction of the heart. This effect was also eliminated by opioid receptor antagonists. It is suggested that stimulation of cardiac delta-OR prevents irreversible cardiac cell damage but exacerbates contractility dysfunction during ischemia and reperfusion in vitro.