Pharmacology L5: Opioid Flashcards
Opioid causes number of changes in the _____ ability to function
neurons
Opioids might close _____ channels. What does that do?
calcium
Reduce transmission (Reducing the neurons ability to transmit pain signals to the brain)
Opioids might open _____ channels. What does that do?
potassium
Hyperpolarizes (less likely to fire- less excitable)
What are 5 agonists of opioids?
EXAM QUESTION
- morphine
- codeine
- heroin
- hydrocodone
- buprenorphine
What are 2 antagonists of opioids?
EXAM QUESTION
- naloxone
- naltrexone.
Antagonist –> important for treating overdose
What is nociception?
the physiological ability to sense pain, as encoded by nociceptor stimulation
What is the purpose of anatgonists for opioids?
Important for treating overdose
What does pain management look like?
What is the pain management if the pain rating is 1-3/10?
Non-opioid (NSAIDS)
Non-pharmacological +/- adjuvants
What is the pain management if the pain rating is 4-6/10?
Non-opioids + weak opioid combination
Non-pharmacological +/- adjuvants
What is the pain management if the pain rating is 7-10/10?
Strong opioid +/- adjuvants
Non-pharmacological
When are strong opioid +/- adjuvants used?
Eg. End stage cancer, chronic pain
Usually in hospital
What are the 4 major adverse effects of opioids?
- Constipation
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sedation
- Respiratory depression
Why is it important to monitor to prevent and/or intervene for opiods?
Due to the major adverse effects
What happens in pain from stimulus (heat/cold/pressure- tissue injury) and to the sensation of pain?
Tissue injury –> Histamine ..etc can trigger nociceptive neuron to trigger an AP –> goes to spinal cord –> synapses in dorsal horn –> nociceptive signals are sent from spinothalamic tract –> CNS –> processing in thalamus and somatosensory cortex –> pain is experiences
____ and ____ cells dump histamine
Neutrophils; mast
What does histamine?
Histamine can activate/irritate
What are the 6 indicators of tissue damage?
- Histamine
- Bradykinin
- 5-HT
- Prostaglandins
- ATP
- Acid (H+)
What is pain?
Pain is an emotional reaction to nociceptor activation (experiences can be different; pain thresholds)
What is the descending inhibitory pathway?
Signals can be sent to try a reduce pain naturally
This pathway is key to the body’s endogenous pain management system, which utilises 5-HT (serotonin) and enkephalins, the latter of which blocks spinothalamic transmission of pain.
What is the purpose of descending inhibitory pathway?
This pathway is key to the body’s endogenous pain management system, which utilises 5-HT (serotonin) and enkephalins, the latter of which blocks spinothalamic transmission of pain.
What are 3 structures that are related in descending inhibitory pathway?
- Periaqueductal grey (PAG)
- Rostral ventromedial medula (RVM)
- Substantia gelantinosa
How do the 3 structures related to the descending inhibitory pathway?
- Cortical brain regions project downwards to the periaqueductal grey (PAG) region of the midbrain.
- The PAG neurons project to the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) and then onwards to the dorsolateral funiculus in the spinal cord.
- Both substantia gelatinosa (afferent) and PAG (descending inhibitory) are rich in opioid receptors, and as opioids reduce activity in afferent and promotes activity of the descending inhibitory pathway, nociception and pain are reduced.- Waiting to be activated by natural opioid receptors or opioid medication
Morphine and codeine have been used for centuries as powerful _____, for _____, and to relieve diarrhoea, identification of receptors for these compounds was confounding.
analgesics; euphoria
How is morphine made? How is heroin made?
Poppy plant –> extracted –> morphine –> can be changed into heroin
Scientists began to search for _____ compounds with affinity for these receptors, leading to the discovery of neuropeptides including _____, _____ and _____, which comprise the endogenous analgesia system.
endogenous;
What are enkephalins, endorphins, and dynorphins?
Peptides which the brain can manufacture to help with pain relief = endogenous analgesia
How do peptides (enkephalins, endorphins, and dynorphins) work?
- These natural peptides are generated from a precursor proteins.
- These are then enzymatically cleaved and modified posttranslationally.
- Not all cells do this equally, and processing is a result of demands on the cell.
- These can differentially impact the receptors in the pain pathway. Synthesized in long strands
How does morphine work as a natural peptide?
Also binds to opioid receptors just as endogenous compounds do = activates = reduce pain sensation
How does naloxone work as natural peptide?
Blocks receptors from binding= Prevent morphine from activating
- Used to manage overdose
What are opiates?
alkaloids structurally related to opium poppy plant products, e.g. morphine and codeine.
These do not have peptide structures! Natural
What are opioids?
any compound that has functional and pharmacological properties of an opiate,
e.g. methadone, fentanyl, buprenorphine), plus neuropeptides, which bind to opioid receptors, produce morphine-like effects, and are blocked by antagonists such as naloxone. Natural and chemically made
Opioids are _____ (hydro/lipo)philic.
lipophilic
Morphine and codeine are made from _____
plant
_____ has the orange region which is structurally similar to our own endogenous system
Morphine
_____ binds but doesn’t have an effect
Naloxone
Why is heroin so dangerous?
Heroine can pass blood brain barrier quickly because it is lipophilic = faster and high concentration
- Made synthetically
Taken -OH on morphine and place them with groups that is more lipophilic
Heroin is modification of morphine, with its hydroxyl groups made even more lipophillic for better BBB effects.
Morphine is relatively ____(hydro/lipo)philic so less morphine crosses into the CNS than the more ____(hydro/lipo)phillic opioids.
hydro; lipo
Which receptor subtypes have been identified?
What are the 2 endogenous agonists of mu as an opioid receptor?
- Endorphins
- enkephlins
What are the 2 endogenous agonists of delta as an opioid receptor?
- Endorphins
- enkephlins
What are the 3 endogenous agonists of kappa as an opioid receptor?
- Dynorphins A
- Dynorphins B
- neoendorphin
What was mu (opioid receptor) nameed for?
morphine
What was delta (opioid receptor) nameed for?
vas deferens tissue
What was kappa (opioid receptor) nameed for?
ketocyclazocine
What are the 3 opioid receptors?
- μ, mu, MOPr
- d, delta, DOPr
- k, kappa, KOPr
Each of these receptors is activated by some or all of the _______. Receptors are located throughout the CNS, but particularly in the tracts and areas associated with nociception.
endogenous opioids
What is the mechanism of action of opioids?
The net outcome is inhibitory synaptic function of neurons with opioid receptors, usually reducing release of glutamate as neurotransmitter within the spinal column.
- GCPR Cascade associated with it G protein when activated
- Inhibitions action
- Promotes potassium efflux
- Causes hyperpolarization
- Reducing the ability of the neuron to respond to the release of neurotransmitters
What is the spatial mechanism action of opioid receptors?
More than 75% of opioid receptors in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord are located presynaptically and most are μ receptors.
What are the 2 activation of opioid receptors?
- inhibits presynaptic Ca2+ ion channel opening (decreasing neurotransmitter release)
- opens postsynaptic K+ ion channels (causing hyperpolarization/IPSP)
This leads to reduced synaptic activity in neuronal circuits containing opioid receptors.
What does spatial mechanism of opioid receptors look like?
In Dorsal horn
Pre-synaptically; mostly mu
Opioid receptor (eg. mu) –> inhibit Ca2+ –> inhibit release of neurotransmitter –> efflux of K+ –> less responsivness post-synaptically
What are 3 ways of pain relief?
- Nociceptors
- Opioids acts peripherally to decrease excitability of sensory nerves, reduces Substance P (SP) release, decreasing pain transmission.
- Spinal Cord (ascending)
- Opioids prevent pain transmission by binding presynaptic μ receptors, decreasing calcium influx and preventing vesicle release, especially glutamate
- Opioids binds postsynaptic μ receptors, increasing K+ influx and hyperpolarizes post-synaptic neurons in periaqueductal gray (PAG).
- Descending Pathway
- activates μ receptors on descending GABA-releasing neurons in PAG in the midbrain, inhibiting them and inducing NE and 5-HT-production of pain inhibitory neurons. This leads to spinal block of pain.
How does NSAIDS work as pain relief?
Peripheral level
What are 2 ways pain relief can occur in opiates?
Activation and stimulation of pain fibres
- Slow down transmission of pain
- Stimulate the descending inhibitory pathway –> increase serotonin and noradrenaline –> relieve pain