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Papers of the Week
Mu-opioid receptors in tachykinin-1-positive cells mediate the respiratory and antinociceptive effects of the opioid fentanyl.
Authors
Furdui A, da Silveira Scarpellini C, Montandon GAbstract
Opioid drugs are potent analgesics that carry the risk of respiratory side effects due to actions on μ-opioid receptors (MORs) in brainstem regions that control respiration. Substance P is encoded by the Tac1 gene and is expressed in neurons regulating breathing, nociception, and locomotion. Tac1-positive cells also express MORs in brainstem regions mediating opioid-induced respiratory depression. We determined the role of Tac1-positive cells in mediating the respiratory effects of opioid drugs.