Abstract
Prescription opioids are potent analgesics that are used for clinical pain management. However, the nonmedical use of these medications has emerged as a major concern because of dramatic increases in abuse and overdose. Therefore, effective strategies to prevent prescription opioid use disorder are urgently needed. The orexin system has been implicated in the regulation of motivation, arousal, and stress, making this system a promising target for the treatment of substance use disorder. This review discusses recent preclinical studies that suggest that orexin receptor blockade could be beneficial for the treatment of prescription opioid use disorder.
Highlights
The abuse of opioids and opioid overdoses have escalated dramatically in recent years
We found that the Orexin receptor 1 (OrxR1) antagonist SB334867, but not the orexin receptor 2 (OrxR2) antagonist TCSOX229, prevented the SD -induced conditioned reinstatement of oxycodone-seeking behavior ([83], Table 1), supporting the involvement of Orx, in reward-seeking that was elicited by external stimuli when the motivation for drug-seeking was augmented by giving stimuli that were conditioned to the drug [15]
Only a few studies have investigated the efficacy of SORAs in reducing the intake and reinstatement of synthetic prescription opioids, and most of them were focused on OrxR1, neglecting the potential importance of OrxR2
Summary
The abuse of opioids and opioid overdoses have escalated dramatically in recent years. Major obstacles to the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) are successful detoxification and the prevention of overdose and relapse [2]. For example, are opioid receptor agonists and are commonly used as replacement therapy for the treatment of OUD. These medications can be helpful to prevent opioid craving and relapse. The accumulating evidence indicates that the orexin (Orx) system may be a treatment target for substance use disorder. The present review discusses preclinical studies that demonstrated the involvement of the Orx system in substance use disorder in general and prescription OUD in particular. Brain Sci. 2020, 10, 226; doi:10.3390/brainsci10040226 www.mdpi.com/journal/brainsci
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