Opioid activation of toll-like receptor 4 contributes to drug reinforcement

J Neurosci. 2012 Aug 15;32(33):11187-200. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0684-12.2012.

Abstract

Opioid action was thought to exert reinforcing effects solely via the initial agonism of opioid receptors. Here, we present evidence for an additional novel contributor to opioid reward: the innate immune pattern-recognition receptor, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and its MyD88-dependent signaling. Blockade of TLR4/MD2 by administration of the nonopioid, unnatural isomer of naloxone, (+)-naloxone (rats), or two independent genetic knock-outs of MyD88-TLR4-dependent signaling (mice), suppressed opioid-induced conditioned place preference. (+)-Naloxone also reduced opioid (remifentanil) self-administration (rats), another commonly used behavioral measure of drug reward. Moreover, pharmacological blockade of morphine-TLR4/MD2 activity potently reduced morphine-induced elevations of extracellular dopamine in rat nucleus accumbens, a region critical for opioid reinforcement. Importantly, opioid-TLR4 actions are not a unidirectional influence on opioid pharmacodynamics, since TLR4(-/-) mice had reduced oxycodone-induced p38 and JNK phosphorylation, while displaying potentiated analgesia. Similar to our recent reports of morphine-TLR4/MD2 binding, here we provide a combination of in silico and biophysical data to support (+)-naloxone and remifentanil binding to TLR4/MD2. Collectively, these data indicate that the actions of opioids at classical opioid receptors, together with their newly identified TLR4/MD2 actions, affect the mesolimbic dopamine system that amplifies opioid-induced elevations in extracellular dopamine levels, therefore possibly explaining altered opioid reward behaviors. Thus, the discovery of TLR4/MD2 recognition of opioids as foreign xenobiotic substances adds to the existing hypothesized neuronal reinforcement mechanisms, identifies a new drug target in TLR4/MD2 for the treatment of addictions, and provides further evidence supporting a role for central proinflammatory immune signaling in drug reward.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analgesics, Opioid / administration & dosage*
  • Analgesics, Opioid / blood
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Conditioning, Operant / drug effects*
  • Conditioning, Operant / physiology
  • Dopamine / metabolism
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Administration Routes
  • Hyperalgesia / drug therapy
  • Hyperalgesia / physiopathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Microdialysis
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / metabolism
  • Models, Molecular
  • Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 / deficiency
  • Naloxone / pharmacology
  • Narcotic Antagonists / pharmacology
  • Nucleus Accumbens / drug effects
  • Nucleus Accumbens / metabolism
  • Pain Threshold / drug effects
  • Pain Threshold / physiology
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Protein Binding / drug effects
  • Protein Binding / genetics
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Reaction Time / drug effects
  • Reinforcement, Psychology*
  • Self Administration
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Time Factors
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4 / agonists
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4 / deficiency
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4 / metabolism*

Substances

  • Analgesics, Opioid
  • Myd88 protein, mouse
  • Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88
  • Narcotic Antagonists
  • Tlr4 protein, mouse
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4
  • Naloxone
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1
  • Dopamine