What are Opioid / Opiate Receptors?
Opioid / Opiate receptors are a protein found in the brain, spinal cord, and gastrointestinal tract. Opiates activate receptors once they reach the brain. They produce effects that directly correlate with the area of the brain involved. Opiates facilitate pain relief and stimulate the pleasure centers in the brain that signal reward. When a person injects, sniffs, or orally ingests heroin or morphine; the drugs travel quickly through the bloodstream to the brain.
Once heroin gets to the brain, it converts rapidly to morphine, which activates the receptors. In the reward system, the drugs activate these brain areas: ventral tegmental area (VTA), cerebral cortex, and nucleus accumbens. Research shows that stimulation of the opiate receptors by heroin, morphine, and other opiates results in reward feelings. Opioid / Opiate receptors activate pleasure circuits, which causes the release of a larger amount of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. The release of dopamine will result in the user feeling a rush of intense euphoria. This feeling subsides quickly, and a feeling of relaxation and contentment follows. The calm typically lasts a few hours. Excessive release of dopamine and activation of the reward system can lead to addiction.
Opiate Receptors Function
The four major subgroups of opiate receptors are delta, kappa, mu, and Nociceptin. In effect, each partakes in the controlling of different functions of the brain. In fact, opiates and endorphins block pain signals by binding to the mu receptor site.
- The delta receptor in the brain affects pain relief, antidepressant effects, and physical dependence.
- Kappa receptors in the brain and spinal cord link with sedation, spinal analgesia, and pupil constriction.
- The mu receptors’ functions in the brain and spinal cord are physical dependence, respiratory depression, euphoria, pupil constriction, and supraspinal analgesia.
- Nociceptin receptors in the brain and spinal cord affect appetite, depression, anxiety, and the development of tolerance to mu agonists.
Relationship between Opiates and Addiction
Research involving opiate drugs and opiate receptors is a high priority because of problems associated with them. Because of the euphoric state associated with opiates, they are a class of drugs often misused and abused. They can also be highly addicting. In particular, prescription opiates can be problematic because users can obtain them legally from a doctor.
The availability of opiate painkillers – through prescription and sale on the black market – has resulted in unforeseen cases of dependence. The resin of the opium poppy plant contains natural opiates. It also includes morphine and codeine. Semi-synthetic opiates are created from natural opioids and include buprenorphine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, hydromorphone, and oxymorphone. Fully synthetic opioids include Fentanyl, Tramadol, and Methadone.
The body produces endogenous opioid peptides naturally. This includes endorphins and dynorphins. Once prolonged use desensitizes the body’s opioid receptors, users build up a tolerance. In essence, they require a higher dose to achieve the same effect. Physical and/or psychological addiction can occur with regular use.
Learn more about opiate receptors from this Society for Neuroscience publication.
