Gastrointestinal tract delta receptors

Subsequent to the molecular cloning and cDNA sequence analysis of the delta opioid receptor, antireceptor antibodies were raised against synthetic peptides based on the deduced amino acid sequence of this receptor. To date, there have been a limited number of studies using antibodies directed toward the amino terminus of the cloned murine receptor to assess the distribution of delta opioid receptorlike immunoreactivity in the gastrointestinal tract, and these have been confined so far to the porcine small intestine. They have shown the presence of delta opioid receptor-immuno-reactive neurons and fibers in both the myenteric and submucosal plexuses and as well as in myenteric neurons maintained in primary culture [22, 23]. Receptor-like immunoreactivity in neuronal cell bodies appears to be localized in the cytoplasm and is likely to be trafficked to nerve terminals. These neurons are coimmunoreactive for the acetylcholine-synthesizing... 

PERSPECTIVES ON THE ROLE OF DELTA OPIOID RECEPTORS IN THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT... 

Recent investigations have revealed that the delta opioid receptor also is involved in the modulation of gastrointestinal functions, particularly in mammals other than the guinea pig. In this chapter, we will discuss the presence and roles of this opioid receptor type in mediating the actions of opioid drugs and their endogenous counterparts in the digestive tract. 

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