期刊名称：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN：0027-8424
电子版ISSN：1091-6490
出版年度：2004
卷号：101
期号：14
页码：5135-5139
DOI：10.1073/pnas.0307601101
语种：English
出版社：The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要：Opiates such as morphine are the choice analgesic in the treatment of chronic pain. However their long-term use is limited because of the development of tolerance and dependence. Due to its importance in therapy, different strategies have been considered for making opiates such as morphine more effective, while curbing its liability to be abused. One such strategy has been to use a combination of drugs to improve the effectiveness of morphine. In particular, {delta} opioid receptor ligands have been useful in enhancing morphine's potency. The underlying molecular basis for these observations is not understood. We propose the modulation of receptor function by physical association between {micro} and {delta} opioid receptors as a potential mechanism. In support of this hypothesis, we show that {micro}-{delta} interacting complexes exist in live cells and native membranes and that the occupancy of {delta} receptors (by antagonists) is sufficient to enhance {micro} opioid receptor binding and signaling activity. Furthermore, {delta} receptor antagonists enhance morphine-mediated intrathecal analgesia. Thus, heterodimeric associations between {micro}-{delta} opioid receptors can be used as a model for the development of novel combination therapies for the treatment of chronic pain and other pathologies.
