Toll-like Receptor 4 Mediates Morphine-Induced Neuroinflammation and Tolerance via Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor Signaling

Neuropsychopharmacology. 2017 Feb;42(3):661-670. doi: 10.1038/npp.2016.131. Epub 2016 Jul 27.

Abstract

Opioid tolerance and the potential for addiction is a significant burden associated with pain management, yet its precise underlying mechanism and prevention remain elusive. Immune signaling contributes to the decreased efficacy of opioids, and we recently demonstrated that Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-mediated neuroinflammation in the periaqueductal gray (PAG) drives tolerance. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a product of TLR4 signaling, promotes inflammation and facilitates glutamatergic signaling, key components of opioid tolerance. Therefore, we hypothesize that TLR4-mediated opioid tolerance requires TNF signaling. By expression of a dominant-negative TNF peptide via lentiviral vector injection in rat PAG to sequester soluble TNF (solTNF), we demonstrate that solTNF mediates morphine tolerance induced by TLR4 signaling, stimulates neuroinflammation (increased IL-1β and TLR4 mRNA), and disrupts glutamate reuptake (decreased GLT-1 and GLAST mRNA). We further demonstrate the efficacy of the brain-permeant PEGylated version of the anti-solTNF peptide, XPro1595, injected systemically, to normalize morphine-induced CNS neuroinflammation and morphine- and endotoxin-induced changes in glutamate transport, effectively preserving the efficacy of morphine analgesia and eliminating tolerance. Our findings provide a novel pharmacological target for the prevention of opioid-induced immune signaling, tolerance, and addiction.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Drug Tolerance / physiology*
  • Glutamic Acid / metabolism*
  • Inflammation / chemically induced
  • Inflammation / drug therapy
  • Inflammation / immunology*
  • Male
  • Morphine / pharmacology*
  • Narcotics / pharmacology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4 / metabolism*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / administration & dosage
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / pharmacology

Substances

  • Narcotics
  • Tlr4 protein, rat
  • Toll-Like Receptor 4
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • XENP 1595
  • Glutamic Acid
  • Morphine