Opioid receptors (MOR/DOR) work through G-protein coupled receptor by modulating different proteins which eventually inhibit excitatory neurotransmitters release from peripheral sensory neurons. Activation of MOR or DOR by its agonist promotes dissociation of trimeric Gi/o protein complex into Gα and Gβγ subunits which inhibits adenylyl cyclase and cAMP accumulation subsequently. Decreased cAMP accumulation inhibits the release of excitatory neurotransmitter by decreasing the Ca2+ influx into the neurons that blocks the conduction of nociceptive signal through the synapses (Stein et al. 2009).
Based on the mechanism of action of opioid receptors drawn in figure 1, another viable alternative assay to understand the receptor activity could be [35S]GTPγS binding assay that monitors G-proteins activation by agonist stimulation. G-proteins is the upstream of cAMP and directly activated by opioid receptors. Activation of G-proteins will clearly indicate the stimulation of opioid receptors by an agonist.
2. What does PGE2 stimulation model/represent in this system?
Answer:
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cAMP level is very low under normal basal condition, whereas, agonism of opioid receptors will reduce the cAMP accumulation.
However, the authors mentioned that the opioids receptors are constitutively desensitized under normal condition in peripheral sensory neurons. Therefore, opioid receptors typically remain unresponsive to an agonist. Tissue damage or inflammation by inflammatory mediators can diminish this unresponsiveness as well as stimulates cAMP accumulation. PGE2 is synthesized in response to inflammation in peripheral tissue damage which stimulates cAMP accumulation. Therefore, PGE2 stimulation represent peripheral nociception in this
system. Question B. The authors state that the siRNA against beta-arrestin 2 but not beta-arrestin 1 induced “functional competence to DAMGO and DPDPE treatment.” 1. What parts of figure 7, supplementary figure 5, and the manuscript text support their claim? Answer: Figure 7A and 7B showed that DAMGO (MOR agonist) and DPDPE (DOR agonist) treatment decreased PGE2-stimulated cAMP accumulation in peripheral sensory neurons pretreated with β-arrestin-2 siRNA compared to peripheral sensory neurons pretreated with non-targeting siRNA. This data indicates that β-arrestin-2 siRNA pre-treatment worked same as induction of receptor responsiveness to agonist after bradykinin or naloxone pretreatment. siRNA activity was confirmed by western blot data plotted in supplemental figure 5A and 5B. The right-side parts of these two figures suggested that β-arrestin-2 siRNA treatment significantly decreased β-arrestin-2 protein compared to non-target siRNA treatment. Data from figures were also describes in the last paragraph of result section in the manuscript which states that β-arrestin-2 has induced functional competence to MOR and DOR agonist similar to that induced by bradykinin and naloxone pretreatment. 2. What parts of these figures and the text refute their claim? Answer: The authors claimed that only β-arrestin-2, not β-arrestin-1, has induced functional competence to DAMGO and DPDPE similar to bradykinin or naloxone pretreatment. However, they failed to prove that β-arrestin-1 has no role in resensitizing opioid receptors to the agonist which refutes their claim. Despite the facts that β-arrestin-1 siRNA treatment decreased β-arrestin-1 protein compared to non-target siRNA treatment showed in left-side part of supplemental figures 5A and 5B; and β-arrestin-1 siRNA pretreatment has no role in cAMP accumulation for DAMGO and DPDPE treatment showed in figures 7C and 7D; they do not certainly prove that β-arrestin-1 does not induce functional competence to DAMGO and DPDPE unless the data from figures 7C and 7D are compared to non-targeting siRNA. 3. If you perceive problems with their approach, how would you fix these potential issues? Answer: The authors failed to support the claim that β-arrestin-1 does not induce functional competence to DAMGO and DPDPE like bradykinin or naloxone. A potential solution for this problem could be repeat the experiment with a non-targeting siRNA as a control group and compare it with β-arrestin-1 siRNA data.
5. Two or more samples may be applied to each plate if they are kept
It has been shown that intrathecal administriton of GABA receptor antagonists cause hyperalgesia and allodynia. Constitutive, the increase in the endogenous GABA activity in the spinal cord alleviate pain resulting from noxious and innoxious mechanical and thermal stimuli. Different GABA receptors have different roles in alleviating thermal and mechanical pain in different animal pain models. There is no study to date that has examined the involvement of GABA A and GABA B in sensory dimension of neuropathic pain resulting from compression of spinal cord. The current study tests the hypothesis that GABA A or GABA B receptors contributes to the allodynia and hyperalgesia observed after spinal cord injury. The results showed that the effect of GABA A and GABA B receptors on mechanical hyperalgesia is similar but these receptors have different effects on thermal hyperalgesia. While using baclofen as GABA B receptor agonist does not affect the thermal pain, thermal hyperalgesia resulting from spinal cord injury was greatly alleviated by different doses of GABA A agonist, muscimol. Both Baclofen and muscimol are able to reduce the mechanical and cold allodynia has been seen after spinal cord injury but the effect of baclofen is dose dependent with no effect in higher doses used in this study. While almost all doses of muscimol were used in this study reduce the amount of cold and mechanical allodynia. The other result obtained in this study is the short term effect of GABA agonist. The anitinociceptive effect of Baclofen and muscimol appear to be maxium at 15 min after injection and gradually diminished by time and their analgesic effect disappeared 3 hours after injection.
Chasing Heroin is a two-hour documentary that investigates America’s heroin crisis. The documentary details the opioid epidemic and how police offers, social workers, and public defenders are working to save the lives of addicts. The documentary explores the origins and continuing causes behind the heroin epidemic such as; massive increases in opioid painkillers starting at the turn of the century, Mexican drug cartels who are now rooted in upper-middle-class neighborhoods, and the cheap price of heroin when compared to prescription pain killers. A program in Seattle called LEAD is explored. This program channels addicts into a system that points them toward help (rehab, temporary housing, counseling, methadone treatment) instead of prison
Opioids are used as pain relievers and although it does the job, there are adverse side effects. Opioids are frequently used in the medical field, allowing doctors to overprescribe their patients. The substance can be very addicting to the dosage being prescribed to the patient. Doctors are commonly prescribing opioids for patients who have mild, moderate, and severe pain. As the pain becomes more severe for the patient, the doctor is more likely to increase the dosage. The increasing dosages of the narcotics become highly addicting. Opioids should not be prescribed as pain killers, due to their highly addictive chemical composition, the detrimental effects on opioid dependent patients, the body, and on future adolescents. Frequently doctors have become carless which causes an upsurge of opioids being overprescribed.
The most common and well described pain transmission is “gate control theory of pain”. This theory was first proposed by Melzack and Wall in 1965 whereby they used the analogy of gate to explain the inhibition of pain which exists within the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. For instance, when tissue damage occurs, substances such as prostaglandin, serotonin, histamine and bradykinin are released from the injured cell. Individual usually consume or apply pain medications such as NSAIDs whereby these medications will cause electrical nerve impulse at the end of the sensory nerve fiber via nociceptor. Nociceptor is a pain receptor that is commonly found in the skin, cornea of eye and organ of motion such as muscles and ligaments. These nerve impulses
Endocannabinoid is synthesized and released ‘on demand' in response to pathological as well as physiological stimuli such as neuronal depolarization, this makes its synthesis based on neurotransmission. When the interaction between the transmitter and receptor occurs neurotransmitters can produce a number of effects in the post-synaptic cell, for example excitation resulting in the inhibition or the init...
Opioids work by attaching to specific proteins called opioid receptors which are located on nerve cells in the body. When the drug attaches to the receptors it reduces the perception of pain, but it can also cause drowsiness, altered mental status, and nausea. Misuse and addiction to opioids are very common. According to the CDC 1,000 people annually are seen in the Emergency Department for treatment regarding misuse of prescribed opioids. Addiction occurs in older adults aged forty years and older more frequently than adults aged twenty to
Opiates are a class of drugs that are used for chronic pain. Opioids are substances that are used to relieve pain by binding opiate receptors throughout the body, and in the brain. These areas in the brain control pain and also emotions, producing a feeling of excitement or happiness. As the brain gets used to these feelings, and the body builds a tolerance to the opioids, there is a need for more opioids and then the possibility of addiction.
The study of cardio physiology was broken up into five distinct parts all centering on the cardiovascular system. The first lab was utilization of the electrocardiogram (ECG). This studied the electrical activities of the heart by placing electrodes on different parts of the skin. This results in a graph on calibrated paper of these activities. These graphs are useful in the diagnosis of heart disease and heart abnormalities. Alongside natural heart abnormalities are those induced by chemical substances. The electrocardiogram is useful in showing how these chemicals adjust the electrical impulses that it induces.
Potent pain medication contains the aspects of utilizing medications such as morphine or demerol, how the medications are dispensed, and t...
Neurotransmitters can also produce their effects by modulating the production of other signal-transducing molecules ("second messengers"messengers") in the post-synaptic cells (Cooper, Bloom and Roth 1996). Nine compounds -- belonging to three chemical families -- are generally believed to function as neurotransmitters somewhere in the central nervous system (CNS) or periphery. In addition, certain other body chemicals, for example adenosine, histamine, enkephalins, endorphins, and epinephrine, have neurotransmitter-like properties, and many additional true neurotransmitters may await discovery.
According to Nutt (1997), rugs are used to produce alterations in brain function that act “on brain receptors and neurotransmitters” (p. 53). The areas of the brain where most of the drugs action takes place is beginning to be better understood in the past ten years, especially in the sense that drug abuse works through multiple mechanisms depending on the drug. Specifically looking at opioid abuse, the neurochemical action that takes place are agonists at the mu (µ) opioid receptors. Agonists mimic or increase the effects of a natural neurotransmitter. It often does this by binding to the receptor site triggering the same signals that the natural neurotransmitter would. The more an opioid does to interact with its designated receptor; the more efficient the agonist becomes (Nutt, 1997, p. 53). Simply, agonists work at a maximal efficiency.
The medication of paracetamol can be administered in various ways and they are sold in different formulations. The common dosage comes in tablets form of 500 mg, in dispersible fizzy tablets (500 mg) and oral suspensions. It can also be bought in capsules as a mixture with other API like caffeine and codeine.
Aranella, Cheryl, MD., M.P.H. Use of Opiates to Manage Pain in the Seriously and Terminally Ill Patient. American Hospice Foundation, 2006. Web. 7 November 2011.
The opioid circuitry is best described as the primary pleasure system in the body. Opioids, also known as endorphins, are chemicals produced in the brain that have rewarding effects on the body. Opioids control persistent pain and feelings of stress and frustration. This is similar to the effect of drugs, such as morphine and heroin (Kessler, 2009, p.37 ). Stimulating the opioids with food, causes great feelings. This effect drives us to eat more food. “Nucleus accumbens” is the area in the brain that is the center of reward in the bo...