EFFECTS OF FENTANYL ON SURVIVAL OF SERUM-DEPRIVED RAT PHEOCHROMOCYTOMA CELLS

The effect of fentanyl, an opioid receptor agonist, on the survival of a rat pheochromocytoma cell line (PC12 cells) after serum deprivation was studied. PCR amplification of reverse-transcribed mRNA demonstrated the μ-opioid receptor transcripts in the PC12 cells. The metabolism of a tetrazolium dye (MTS) assay showed that cell viability was significantly reduced, and agarose electrophoresis of the DNA extracted from the cells resulted in a ladder-like pattern of fragmentation 18 h after serum withdrawal. The incubation with fentanyl prolonged cell survival in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was abolished by naloxone. There was a rapid and transient induction of the c-fos, c-jun and heat shock protein 70 genes, in PC12 cells after serum deprivation, which was not observed in fentanyl-treated PC12 cells.