Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Mu-opioid receptor desensitization: is morphine different?

Mark Connor1, Peregrine B Osborne, MacDonald J Christie

  • 1Pain Management Research Institute, E25, Kolling Institute, University of Sydney at Royal North Shore Hospital, Pacific Highway, St Leonards, NSW, 2065, Australia. markc@med.usyd.edu.au

British Journal of Pharmacology
|October 27, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Understanding opioid receptor regulation is key to addressing tolerance and dependence. Current research limitations hinder our grasp of how mu-opioid receptors function and how drugs like morphine impact them.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Erratum to 'The discovery of a potent and selective pyrazolo-[2,3-e]-[1,2,4]-triazine cannabinoid type 2 receptor agonist' [Eur. J. Med. Chem. 210 (2021) 113087].

European journal of medicinal chemistry·2026
Same author

A 3D Atlas of Visceral and Somatic Pelvic Motor Neurons in Whole Mounts of Female and Male Rat Spinal Cords.

The Journal of comparative neurology·2025
Same author

Correlation of Electrical Impedance and Evoked Potentials With Properties of the Electrode Interface Using in Situ Block-Face Imaging of the Rat Pelvic Nerve.

Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society·2025
Same author

A multiscale vascular atlas of blood vessels supplying the urinary bladder of male and female mice.

American journal of physiology. Renal physiology·2025
Same author

Polyunsaturated fatty acids and their endocannabinoid-related metabolites activity at human TRPV1 and TRPA1 ion channels expressed in HEK-293 cells.

PeerJ·2025
Same author

A ruler detection method for auto-adjusting scales of shoeprint images.

Science & justice : journal of the Forensic Science Society·2024

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Opioid tolerance and dependence are significant clinical issues.
  • The precise mechanisms of acute mu-opioid receptor regulation and their role in tolerance and dependence remain unclear.
  • Existing studies often suffer from experimental limitations, leading to unresolved questions about receptor desensitization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically evaluate the experimental limitations hindering the understanding of mu-opioid receptor regulation.
  • To identify key unresolved issues in the study of opioid receptor desensitization and trafficking.
  • To provide a framework for future research into the differential effects of opioids on receptor regulation.

Main Methods:

  • Review and critique of existing experimental designs in opioid receptor research.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of limitations in receptor overexpression assays and their impact on regulatory mechanism assessment.
  • Examination of uncertainties in molecular interactions between mu-opioid receptors and regulatory proteins like GRKs and arrestins.

    • Main Results:

    • Experimental designs often obscure the true regulatory mechanisms of mu-opioid receptors.
    • Current assays may not accurately reflect receptor uncoupling and desensitization in vivo.
    • Conflicting data on opioid receptor regulation stem from methodological shortcomings.

    Conclusions:

    • Premature conclusions about differential tolerance and dependence liabilities of opioid agonists are drawn due to a lack of a robust regulatory framework.
    • Further research is needed to clarify the molecular details of mu-opioid receptor regulation.
    • Understanding these mechanisms is crucial to explaining why morphine exhibits distinct receptor trafficking properties compared to other opioids.