The effects of phosphorothioate antisense oligodeoxynucleotides against exons-1, -2, -3 and -4 of the human mu-opioid receptor were studied in the CHO-mu-opioid receptor cells using aequorin luminescence-based calcium assay. All four antisense oligodeoxynucleotides significantly decreased the level of mu-opioid receptor mRNA in comparison with the non-treated cells, used as control. However, no statistically significant differences between antisense oligodeoxynucleotides were observed. antisense oligodeoxynucleotides against exon-2 attenuated endomorphin-1-induced intracellular calcium response in a concentration-dependent manner. antisense oligodeoxynucleotides against exons-1, -2, -3 and -4 inhibited endomorphin-2-induced intracellular calcium response in a concentration-dependent manner and the effect of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides against exons-3 and -4 was most pronounced. The mismatch oligodeoxynucleotides against respective exons failed to exert any effect. The selective actions of antisense probes directed against different exons of the human mu-opioid receptor gene, that resulted, at the protein level, in attenuation of calcium responses induced by endomorphin-1 and endomorphin-2, suggest that the binding sites for endomorphins are structurally and functionally different. The presence of functionally distinct binding sites might play a crucial role in the modulation of pain and may be important clinically
