Opium has long been a drug of great interest to scientists. Although one of the most effective of all pain killers, it has the serious disadvantage of producing addiction in those who use it for extended periods. Research on the mechanism by which...

There are three main classes of RECEPTOR for the OPIOID PEPTIDES: delta, kappa and mu. All are G PROTEIN coupled but each has a distinct pharmacology and the various opioid peptides show different affinity for each type. For example, ENDORPHINS have...

Opioid receptors are a group of G-protein coupled receptors with opioids as ligands. The endogenous opioids are dynorphins, enkephalins, endorphins, endomorphins and nociceptin/orphanin FQ. The opioid receptors are ~40% identical to somatostatin...

Introduction Postoperative ileus (POI) is defined as disruption of normal coordinated movements of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) resulting in failure of intestinal propulsion.[1 ] It affects almost all patients undergoing abdominal surgery and is exacerbated by the use of opioids before and after...

The human µ-opioid receptor, encoded by the OPRM1 gene (1, 2), is the major site for the analgesic action of opioids. The OPRM1 gene is therefore a first-line candidate for evaluating the role of mutations on the clinical effects of opioids. The mutant allele...

Drug abuse experts say the arrest of former Vice President Al Gore's son underscores the growing problem of prescription drug abuse among America's youth. College students use the stimulant Adderall, an attention deficit drug, to get a speedy high or pull all-nighters.The other drugs police...

Drug abuse experts say the arrest of Al Gore's son underscores the growing problem of prescription drug abuse among America's youth. College students use the stimulant Adderall, an attention deficit drug, to get a speedy high or pull all-nighters.The other drugs police say they found...