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 Concept Videos

Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena01:15

Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena

766
Drug dependence, abuse, and addiction are complex phenomena that can precipitate various abnormal states. Physical dependence refers to a state of pharmacological adaptation to a drug. This adaptation often results in tolerance—a reduced response to the drug after repeated administrations. When the drug use is abruptly stopped, withdrawal symptoms occur due to the body's need to readjust from the pharmacologically induced imbalance. However, tolerance and withdrawal symptoms do not...
766
Analgesia and Pain Management01:25

Analgesia and Pain Management

856
Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...
856
Opioid Receptors: Overview01:22

Opioid Receptors: Overview

2.2K
Opioid receptors, including the mu (μ, MOR), delta (δ, DOR), and kappa (κ, KOR) types, belong to the rhodopsin family of G protein-coupled receptors. These receptors are located throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems and in non-neuronal tissues such as macrophages and astrocytes. Opioid receptor ligands can be categorized into agonists or antagonists. Highly selective agonists include [d-Ala2, MePhe4, Gly(ol)5]-enkephalin or DAMGO for MOR, [D-Pen2,...
2.2K
Desensitization and Tachyphylaxis01:20

Desensitization and Tachyphylaxis

2.4K
Tachyphylaxis is described as a rapid decrease in response to a drug after repeated or continuous administration of the same drug dose. It is a phenomenon where the body becomes less responsive to a particular substance or intervention over time, requiring higher doses or stronger interventions to achieve the same effect. It results from adaptive changes in the body's receptors, signaling pathways, or physiological processes that occur in response to prolonged exposure to a stimulus.
2.4K
Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids01:15

Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids

465
Synthetic and semisynthetic opioids are pivotal in pain management and tackling opioid addiction. Semisynthetic opioids, including morphinans (morphine derivatives), oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, and hydromorphone, have improved pharmacokinetic profiles compared to morphine. Additionally, heroin and 6-MAM (6-Monoacetylmorphine) show better CNS penetration than morphine due to heightened lipid solubility. Hydromorphone, a potent opioid, undergoes hepatic metabolism to form the active...
465
Opioid Analgesics: Morphine and Other Natural Cogeners01:20

Opioid Analgesics: Morphine and Other Natural Cogeners

409
Opioids are a class of drugs that mimic endogenous opioid peptides and act on opioid receptors, and help in pain relief. These compounds are classified as natural, synthetic, or semi-synthetic. Natural opioids, like morphine, codeine, and thebaine, are derived from the opium poppy plant (Papaver somniferum or Papaver album) and are termed opiates. Synthetic opioids are artificial, while semi-synthetic opioids combine natural and synthetic compounds. Morphine, a prototypical opioid, possesses a...
409

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Enhanced splicing modulation by NMA-modified antisense oligonucleotides.

Nucleic acids research·2026
Same author

The TGF-βR1 inhibitor galunisertib re-shapes the PDAC-TME by limiting decidual-like natural killer cells polarization.

Cell death & disease·2026
Same author

Prenatal polysubstance exposure alters behaviour in zebrafish larvae.

Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry·2026
Same author

Alternative polyadenylation in the brain is altered by chronic ethanol exposure in a sex- and cell type-specific manner.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Alcohol attenuates CRF-induced excitatory effects from the extended amygdala to dorsostriatal cholinergic interneurons.

eLife·2026
Same author

A ketogenic diet reduces hepatic alcohol metabolism and alcohol consumption in rats.

Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 30, 2025

Assessment of Cocaine-induced Behavioral Sensitization and Conditioned Place Preference in Mice
10:28

Assessment of Cocaine-induced Behavioral Sensitization and Conditioned Place Preference in Mice

Published on: February 18, 2016

17.3K

Corticosteroid sensitization drives opioid addiction.

Stephanie A Carmack1,2, Janaina C M Vendruscolo1, M Adrienne McGinn1

  • 1Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Molecular Psychiatry
|March 17, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in the brain

More Related Videos

Drug-induced Sensitization of Adenylyl Cyclase: Assay Streamlining and Miniaturization for Small Molecule and siRNA Screening Applications
09:39

Drug-induced Sensitization of Adenylyl Cyclase: Assay Streamlining and Miniaturization for Small Molecule and siRNA Screening Applications

Published on: January 27, 2014

12.8K
Combining Laser Capture Microdissection and Microfluidic qPCR to Analyze Transcriptional Profiles of Single Cells: A Systems Biology Approach to Opioid Dependence
09:54

Combining Laser Capture Microdissection and Microfluidic qPCR to Analyze Transcriptional Profiles of Single Cells: A Systems Biology Approach to Opioid Dependence

Published on: March 8, 2020

5.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 30, 2025

Assessment of Cocaine-induced Behavioral Sensitization and Conditioned Place Preference in Mice
10:28

Assessment of Cocaine-induced Behavioral Sensitization and Conditioned Place Preference in Mice

Published on: February 18, 2016

17.3K
Drug-induced Sensitization of Adenylyl Cyclase: Assay Streamlining and Miniaturization for Small Molecule and siRNA Screening Applications
09:39

Drug-induced Sensitization of Adenylyl Cyclase: Assay Streamlining and Miniaturization for Small Molecule and siRNA Screening Applications

Published on: January 27, 2014

12.8K
Combining Laser Capture Microdissection and Microfluidic qPCR to Analyze Transcriptional Profiles of Single Cells: A Systems Biology Approach to Opioid Dependence
09:54

Combining Laser Capture Microdissection and Microfluidic qPCR to Analyze Transcriptional Profiles of Single Cells: A Systems Biology Approach to Opioid Dependence

Published on: March 8, 2020

5.4K

Area of Science:

  • Neurobiology
  • Addiction research
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a global crisis driven by withdrawal-induced hyperkatifeia.
  • Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of OUD is critical for developing effective treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of extrahypothalamic stress systems in opioid addiction.
  • To explore glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling in the amygdala as a potential therapeutic target for OUD.

Main Methods:

  • Administered mifepristone (a GR antagonist) to rats and zebrafish to assess addiction-like behaviors.
  • Measured corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neuron activity in the rat amygdala.
  • Used antisense oligonucleotides to block GR transcriptional activity in the rat amygdala.
  • Analyzed GR signaling pathways in post-mortem human brain samples from individuals with OUD.

Main Results:

  • Mifepristone significantly reduced opioid addiction-like behaviors in both species.
  • GR antagonism decreased CRF neuron firing in the rat amygdala, indicating reduced stress system activation.
  • Blocking GR transcriptional activity in the amygdala also reduced addiction-like behaviors.
  • Transcriptional adaptations in GR signaling were identified in the amygdala of humans with OUD.

Conclusions:

  • Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling in extrahypothalamic stress systems, particularly the amygdala, plays a mechanistic role in driving opioid addiction.
  • Targeting GRs and their associated pathways offers a promising therapeutic strategy to address the "stress side" of opioid use disorder.