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Some aspects of opiate receptors
Advances in Biochemical Psychopharmacology
|January 1, 1980
Summary
Multiple opiate receptors exist, each with specific sensitivities to different endorphins. This ligand-receptor specificity may distinguish between neurotransmitter and hormone functions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Evidence suggests a parallel existence of various endorphins and multiple opiate receptors.
- Opiate receptors exhibit differential binding affinities for distinct endogenous ligands.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the ligand specificity of opiate receptors in different tissues.
- To explore the potential role of ligand-receptor interactions in classifying opiate receptors as neurotransmitter or hormone receptors.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of opiate binding sites in mouse vas deferens, rat vas deferens, and guinea pig ileum.
- Assessment of receptor sensitivity to specific endogenous ligands like enkephalins and beta-endorphin.
Main Results:
- Mouse vas deferens opiate sites show specific sensitivity to enkephalins.
- Rat vas deferens receptors are selectively sensitive to beta-endorphin.
- Enkephalin is present in guinea pig ileum, but other endogenous ligands for mu-receptors remain unidentified.
Conclusions:
- Opiate receptor specificity for particular ligands, considering properties like enzymatic degradation, may differentiate neurotransmitter and hormone receptors.
- Further research is needed to identify all endogenous ligands for opiate receptors in tissues like the guinea pig ileum.