Opioid analgesics delta-receptor selective

The biochemical and pharmacological properties of the kappa receptor and the differences between the kappa, mu and delta receptors have been reviewed elsewhere. The reader is directed to the opioid review articles by Rees and Hunter (1990) [4], Casy (1989) [3] and Leslie (1987) [10] and also to two shorter reviews which deal specifically with kappa agonists the review by Horwell published in 1988 entitled Kappa Opioid Analgesics [8] and the review by Millan in 1990 on kappa opioid receptors and analgesia [9]. An account of the medicinal chemistry of selective opioid agonists and antagonists was published in 1990 by Zimmerman and Leander [5]. 

Interestingly, morphine is primarily considered to have selective effects on the mu opioid receptor for its analgesic effects however, there is also evidence that it possesses effects on delta or kappa opioid receptors and that crosstalk can occur between mu and delta opioid receptors [44]. To test the hypothesis that the cardioprotective effects of IPC and morphine were acting via a delta opioid receptor, Schultz et al. [45] administered the selective delta receptor antagonist naltrindole to rats prior to IPC or morphine infusion. In both instances, the cardioprotective effects of morphine and IPC were completely abolished at a dose of naltrindole that had no effect by itself on infarct size in nonpreconditioned rat hearts. These data clearly suggest that both IPC and morphine are exerting their cardioprotective effects via the delta opioid receptor in the intact rat heart. 

It is now widely accepted that there are at least three opioid receptor sub-types, mu kappa and delta. During the last decade increasing evidence has accumulated to support the hypothesis that a selective kappa opioid agonist will be a powerful analgesic without the clinically limiting side-effects that characterise morphine (e.g., respiratory depression, constipation, addiction)... 

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