Opioid Actions in Primary-Afferent Fibers—Involvement in Analgesia and Anesthesia

Pharmaceuticals

Eiichi Kumamoto¹  Kotaro Mizuta² 

[1] Department of Physiology, Saga Medical School, 5-1-1 Nabeshima, Saga 849-8501, Japan;

关键词: opioids;    spinal dorsal horn;    excitatory synaptic transmission;    primary-afferent fiber;    action potential conduction;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ph4020343

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Opioids inhibit glutamatergic excitatory transmission from the periphery by activating G-protein coupled opioid receptors in the central terminals of primary-afferent neurons in the spinal substantia gelatinosa, resulting in antinociception. Opioid receptor activation in the peripheral terminals of primary-afferent neurons inhibits the production of action potentials in response to nociceptive stimuli given to the periphery, leading to antinociception. Opioids also exhibit a local anesthetic effect without opioid receptor activation in peripheral nerve fibers. This review article will focus on analgesia and anesthesia produced by the actions of opioids on primary-afferent fibers.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2011 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.