The role of δ- opioid receptor in the inhibition of opioid induced hyperalgesia

Abstract

Background Opioids are the most powerful analgesics for the treatment of moderate to severe pain.Although opioids have analgesic effect,they have many side effects at the same time.Long term opioids exposure can induce hyperalgesia and tolerance.Moreover,increasing the dose of opioids,paradoxically,aggravates the hyperalgesia and tolerance,causing a vicious cycle.The use of opioids,therefore,is largely limited in the clinical setting. Objective The relevant literatures involved in the role of δ-opioid receptors in the attenuation of opioid induced hyperalgesia (OIH) in recent years were summarized,which helps readership to update the latest information about this topic. Content The structure,distribution,physiological function and the progress of antihyperalgesic effect of δ-opioid receptors were reviewed in this article.Those researches suggest that OIH and tolerance can be attenuated by the inhibition of δ-opioid receptor phosphorylation,knocking out δ-opioid receptor coding genes and the application of δ-opioid receptor antagonists. Trend Since the antihyperalgesia effect of δ-opioid receptor is widely acknowledged,δ- opioid receptor may become a new target to relieve pain in the clinical setting. Key words: δ-opioid receptor; Opioids; Hyperalgesia; Antinociceptive