title: Opioid, cheating on its receptors, exacerbates pain.
abstract: Opioids are commonly thought of as compounds that alleviate pain. A new study finds that elevated levels of the opioid dynorphin can unexpectedly activate bradykinin receptors, contributing to the maintenance of neuropathic pain.
authors.affiliation: Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Altier
authors.forename: Gerald W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Zamponi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004399:Dynorphins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000378:metabolism*; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D018002:Receptors, Bradykinin / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018002:Receptors, Bradykinin; D004399:Dynorphins