Assignment Task: Respond/Give Feedback To The Following Article:
Opioids are analgesic agents used in clinical practice. There are five opioid receptors that have been discovered to date. Their names are, mu receptor (MOR), kappa receptor (KOR), delta receptor (DOR), nociception receptor (NOR), and zeta receptor (ZOR). Withing these receptor there are subtypes mu1, mu2, mu3, kappa 1, kappa 2, kappa 3, delta 1, and delta 2. These different opioid receptors bind to their respective agonist counterparts. Mu 1,2, and 3 bind to endogenous ligands, beta endorphin, endomorphin 1 and 2 proopiomelanocortin (POMC) bing the pre cursor. Mu1 receptor is responsible for analgesia and dependence, mu 2 receptor is important for euphoria, dependence, respiratory depression, meiosis, decreased digestive tract mobility/constipation. Mu 3 receptor causes vasodilation. Kappa receptors bind to dynorphin A and B. They provide analgesia, diuresis, and dysphoria. Delta receptors bind to enkelphalins. They play a role in analgesia and reduction in gastric mobility. Nociceptin receptors bind to nociceptin/orphanin FQ causing analgesia and hyperalgesia. Lastly, zeta receptors regulate developmental events in a variety of normal and tumorigenic tissues and cells. Since opioid receptors are G protein coupled receptors (GPCR's), they mediate the body's to most hormones, neurotransmitters, drugs and are involved in sensory perception of vision, taste, and olfaction. GPCR's are made up of seven transmembrane spanning proteins that couple to intracellular G proteins. Different types of G proteins bind to receptors which differ based on the signaling pathways activated intracellularly. New developments in technological innovations such as molecular docking, nanobodies, ultramicroscopic techniques, chemogenetics, and optogenetics have aided in finding the crystal structure of different opioid receptors and evolution of novel agonists. New knowledge on these techniques along with the discovery of new methods can , without a doubt, help produce drugs with increased analgesic effect and reduce the negative effects which can aid in solving the opioid epidemic.