SPECIES AND AGE-DEPENDENT DIFFERENCES OF FUNCTIONAL COUPLING BETWEEN OPIOID DELTA-RECEPTOR AND G-PROTEINS AND POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT OF PROTEIN-KINASE-C IN STRIATAL MEMBRANES

[D-Ser(2),Leu(5)]-enkephalin-Thr(6) (DSLET) and [D-Pen(2,5)]-enkephali n (DPDPE), both delta-agonists, stimulated the high affinity GTPase in the rat striatal membranes in a naltrindole-reversible manner. Simila r stimulation was also observed in the striatal membrane preparations of 16-week-old guinea pigs, while not in those preparations of 4-week- old ones. When calphostin C, a protein kinase C inhibitor, was added t o the reaction mixture, DSLET showed a marked stimulation in this acti vity in 4-week guinea pig striatal membranes. There was no effect of K T5720, a cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor, on such delta- opioid-mediated responses. These findings suggest that protein kinase C is locally involved in the functional uncoupling of delta-receptors to G-proteins in the striatum of young guinea pigs.