Opioid receptors and preconditioning of the heart.
Recent studies have demonstrated that opioids and their receptors, investigated for many years for their analgesic effects on central nervous system receptors, also play a role in the regulation of the cardiovascular system. Although some of these actions may be mediated by activation of peripheral opioid receptors, others seem to result from direct or independent effects of their receptors on cardiac tissue and the peripheral vascular system. This review will focus on the effects of opioid receptor stimulation in the heart, particularly those mimicking the cardioprotective effect of ischemic preconditioning.
Saraiva
Joana
J
Serviço de Fisiologia da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Oliveira
Sílvia Marta
SM
Rocha-Sousa
Amândio
A
Leite-Moreira
Adelino
A
D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D019157:Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial; D018847:Opioid Peptides / Q000502:physiology; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000502:physiology*
D018847:Opioid Peptides; D011957:Receptors, Opioid