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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Assessment of Morphine-induced Hyperalgesia and Analgesic Tolerance in Mice Using Thermal and Mechanical Nociceptive Modalities
Published on: July 29, 2014
Opioids and the gut: pharmacology and current clinical experience
H U De Schepper1, F Cremonini, M-I Park
1Clinical Enteric Neuroscience Translational and Epidemiological Research (CENTER) Program, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
Abstract:
This article reviews the pharmacology and physiology of opiate receptors and the current and potential uses of opioid agonists and antagonists in clinical gastroenterology. Mu-receptors are involved in motor and sensory functions, and their modulation is established for treatment of diarrhea. Mu-antagonists have potential to reverse endogenous (e.g., postoperative ileus) or iatrogenic dysmotility (e.g., opioid bowel dysfunction). Modulation of the function of kappa-receptors may be a novel approach to control visceral pain in functional gut disorders. Results of formal testing of novel opioid modulators are keenly awaited.
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