18 Opioids I Flashcards
Define opium
Dried latex obtained from the poppy (original source of opium)
Define Opiates
Any drug derived from opium
What is an opioid
Any drug that binds to an opioid receptor (includes opiates, as well as synthetic opioid agonists (eg fentanyl, heroin, oxycontin))
What type of receptor are opioid receptors?
Opioid receptors are inhibitory G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR)
What does activation of opioid receptors result in:
- Inhibition of calcium channels and activation of potassium channels and inhibition of adenylyl cyclase = hyperpolarization
- neuronal inactivation and reduced transmitter release
What are the four types of opioid receptors?
- mu
- kappa
- delta
- NOP (aka ORL1)
All four types of opioid receptors are _________ but produce very different effects when activated
All four types of opioid receptors are Gi GPCRs but produce very different effects when activated
Why do different opioid receptors produce different effects despite being structurally similar?
Differences are due to receptor distribution (different neurons, different brain circuits)
- Ligand specificity: drugs are selective for different opioid receptors
Mu opioid receptors are found where in the brain?
Limbic system (VTA and striatum)
Some in cortex
Recall: VTA = Ventral tegmental area (reward system)
ORL-1 is widely expressed in the ________.
How does it differ from the other three opioid receptors?
ORL-1 is widely expressed in the CNS.
How does it differ from the other three opioid receptors?
- last to be identified; based on sequence homology NOT functional similarities
- may be involved in fear processing
- Doesn’t share any fxnal similarities to the other opioid receptors
What effects do agonists have on the Mu receptors?
What are three examples of Mu receptors agonists?
- Analgesia
- Reward (leads to abuse liability)
- Antitussive (cough suppression)
- Constipation “narcotic gut”
- Respiratory depression
- eg:
- Morphine
- Codeine
- Heroin
What is the effect of a mu receptor antagonist?
Example?
- aversive effects: unpleasant
- Prevent reward
- block overdose
- eg
- naloxone
What effect does a Delta receptor agonist have?
- Not rewarding
- No analgesia (except in chronic pain, migraine)
- some are seizure-inducing (not commercially available, under investigation)
What response(s) would a Delta antagonist elicit?
No obvious effects
What response(s) would an agonist at the Kappa opioid receptor ilicit?
example?
- Aversive
- Hallucinogenic
- Anxiogenix
- eg:
- salvia
What response(s) would an antagonist at the Kappa receptor illicit?
Potential antidepressant/anxiolytic
(clinical trial)
What are four full mu-opioid receptor agonists?
- morphine
- methadone
- fentanyl
- heroin