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Fentanyl attenuates air-puff stimulus-evoked field potential response in the cerebellar molecular layer via inhibiting interneuron activity in mice

ZHAN Li-Jie, YANG Yi, YANG He-Min, CHU Chun-Ping, QIU De-Lai, LAN Yan

Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, China

Abstract

Fentanyl as a synthetic opioid works by binding to the mu-opioid receptor (MOR) in brain areas to generate analgesia, sedation and reward related behaviors. As we know, cerebellum is not only involved in sensory perception, motor coordination, motor learning and precise control of autonomous movement, but also important for the mood regulation, cognition, learning and memory. Previous studies have shown that functional MORs are widely distributed in the cerebellum, and the role of MOR activation in cerebellum has not been reported. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of fentanyl on air-puff stimulus-evoked field potential response in the cerebellar molecular layer using in vivo electrophysiology in mice. The results showed that perfusion of 5 μmol/L fentanyl on the cerebellar surface significantly inhibited the amplitude, half width and area under the curve (AUC) of sensory stimulation-evoked inhibitory response P1 in the molecular layer. The half-inhibitory concentration (IC50) of the fentanyl-induced suppression of P1 amplitude was 4.21 μmol/L. The selective MOR antagonist CTOP abolished fentanyl-induced inhibitory responses in the molecular layer. However, application of CTOP alone increased the amplitude and AUC of P1. Notably, fentanyl significantly inhibited the tactile stimulation-evoked response of molecular layer interneurons (MLIs) and the spontaneous firing of MLIs. The results suggest that fentanyl attenuates air-puff stimulus-evoked field 

potential response in the cerebellar molecular layer via binding to MOR to restrain the spontaneous and evoked firing of MLIs.

Key words: fentanyl; μ-opioid receptors; cerebellar molecular layer interneuron; sensory stimulation; in vivo electrophysiology

Received: 2020-02-11　　Accepted: 2020-04-16

Corresponding author: 兰艳　　E-mail: lanyan@ybu.edu.cn

DOI: 10.13294/j.aps.2020.0049

Citing This Article：

ZHAN Li-Jie, YANG Yi, YANG He-Min, CHU Chun-Ping, QIU De-Lai, LAN Yan. Fentanyl attenuates air-puff stimulus-evoked field potential response in the cerebellar molecular layer via inhibiting interneuron activity in mice. Acta Physiol Sin 2021; 73 (1): 35-41 (in Chinese with English abstract).