Activation of JNK pathway in spinal astrocytes contributes to acute ultra-low-dose morphine thermal hyperalgesia

Accumulating evidence suggests that opioid analgesics can lead to paradoxical sensitization to pain when delivered in different administration patterns. Although opioid tolerance-induced hyperalgesia is largely studied, little is known about the mechanisms underlying acute ultra-low-dose morphine hyperalgesia. Activation of spinal glial cells is reported to regulate pain hypersensitivity. To elucidate the mechanism involved in acute ultra-low-dose morphine hyperalgesia, we tested whether an opioid agonist promoted the activation of spinal astrocytes and microglia and investigated the cellular pathways involved. Ultra-low-dose morphine activated spinal astrocytes with no effect on microglia. The astrocyte activation was selectively prevented by the opioid antagonist naloxone, the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) silencing and the JNK inhibitor SP600125. Morphine elevated spinal JNK1, JNK2, and c-Jun phosphorylation. Conversely, phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and signal transducer and activator of transcription-1 (STAT-1) was not elevated, and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) levels remained unmodified. Administration of SP600125 and the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist MK801 prevented morphine hyperalgesia. Ultra-low-dose morphine increased protein kinase C (PKC) γ phosphorylation. Pretreatment with a PKC inhibitor prevented morphine hyperalgesia and JNK and c-Jun overphosphorylation, indicating PKC is a JNK upstream modulator and illustrating the presence of a pathway involving PKC, NMDA, and JNK activated by morphine. Immunofluorescence experiments indicated the neuronal localization of spinal MOR. However, JNK was not detected in MOR-expressing cells, showing the presence of a neuron-astrocyte signaling pathway. These results illustrate the selective activation of an astrocyte JNK pathway after the stimulation of neuronal MOR, which contributes to ultra-low-dose morphine hyperalgesia.