Opioid receptor actions/selectivity

The relative extent of the unwanted effects caused by selective agonists at the different opioid receptors is of great importance in determining if non-mu opioids will have better spectra of actions as compared to morphine. However, there are good indications that the kappa and delta receptor agonists cause less respiratory depression than mu... 

It is universally accepted that the action of opioids is mediated by specific receptors. It is presumed that several types of opioid receptors exist p, k, 5, and a. A few of these are in turn subdivided into subtypes. It has been found that opioid receptors are seven transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptors that are localized in the membranous part of the synaptosomal head it has also been found that they are glycoproteins. They are prone to conformational changes in certain situations, which is essential for their selective binding with agonists or antagonists. 

Opioid receptor binding Meptazinol (Holmes and Ward, 1985) is a partial p-agonist with a high p-receptor affinity the selective action at a special p1-subtype is controversial (Pasternak et al., 1985). 

Actions and Selectivities of Opioids at the Various Opioid Receptor Classes... 

Although above mentioned delta and mu receptor selective peptides and opiates were observed and useful for the identification of distinctive delta receptor from other opioid receptors, they suffered from the low selectivity and cross-actions at high doses or concentrations of these ligands, especially in in vivo pharmacological studies. The needs of having highly selective ligands for all types of opioid receptors were clear. In addition to the above... 

In conclusion, the in vivo activity of available delta opioids is complex. DPDPE, or even Delt, administered ICV seems to recruit mu receptors and, from all the data, it appears that delta agonists often have mixed mu/ delta activities. More selective delta agonists need to be produced to explore delta receptor pharmacology. The examination of nonanalgesic activities of delta ligands in opioid receptor knockout mice has been very informative while the convulsive effect of SNC 80 seems indeed delta receptor mediated, the addictive activity of Delt most probably results from mu receptor activation and the immunosuppressive action of NTI is mediated by a nonopioid mechanism. 

On the other hand, a number of studies have shown that morphine and opioid peptides could have cardioprotective effects toward ischemic processes and may be able to reduce the size of infarct [72,73]. These effects seem to involve the activation of delta opioid receptors, the localization of which remains unknown. In addition, enkephalin-degrading enzyme inhibitors, such as acetorphan and, particularly, RB 101, have also been demonstrated to decrease the susceptibility to the arrhythmogenic action of epinephrine. Thus RB 101 completely prevented the ventricular tachycardia, fibrillation, and repetitive ventricular extrasystoles induced by epinephrine (Maslov et al., unpublished data). These effects were reversed by the selective delta antagonist ICI 174,864. 

SELECTIVE DELTA OPIOID RECEPTOR AGONISTS AND THEIR ANTINOCICEPTIVE ACTIONS... 

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