Opiates increase plasma catecholamines in humans.
Evidence from animal studies suggests that centrally acting opiates and opioid peptides increase catecholamine (CA) plasma concentrations, reflecting a central activation of sympathetic outflow. We describe here similar opiate actions in humans. Increasing doses of the potent mu opioid receptor agonist fentanyl (FE), 0.1, 0.2, and 0.25 mg/70 kg body weight (bw), induced a significant, dose-dependent increase of noradrenaline (NA) and adrenaline (A) plasma concentrations in healthy male individuals. Whereas NA increased continuously with increasing FE dose, a maximum A response was already reached at the lowest dose. These dose-related NA and A response patterns, showing a higher A sensitivity to opiate receptor stimulation, corresponded closely to those reported from animal studies. Furthermore, comparing the CA releasing potency of 0.2 mg FE/70 kg bw to analgetically equipotent doses of the less selective mu opioid receptor agonist morphine and the kappa agonist/mu antagonist nalbuphine in different groups of male individuals, we found similar effects of these opiates on CA plasma concentrations. These data suggest that the opiate-induced CA release in humans is not only mediated by mu opioid receptors, but may also involve kappa opioid receptor subtypes.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Munich, Germany.
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D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000097:blood; D005283:Fentanyl / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009266:Nalbuphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009294:Narcotics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013223:Statistics as Topic
D002395:Catecholamines; D009294:Narcotics; D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D009020:Morphine; D009266:Nalbuphine; D005283:Fentanyl; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine