Review Article
δ-Opioid Receptor Antagonists as a New Concept for Central Acting Antitussive Drugs

https://doi.org/10.1006/pupt.2002.0350Get rights and content

Abstract

Our recent findings indicated that μ- and κ-opioid receptors enhance each other's antitussive processes. However, δ-opioid receptors played an inhibitory role in antitussive processes mediated by the μ- and κ-opioid receptors. We also concluded that δ1-opioid receptors may play an inhibitory role, whereas δ2-opioid receptors may play a synergistic role, in antitussive processes mediated by μ-opioid receptors. Furthermore, we clearly demonstrated that δ-opioid receptor antagonists, such as naltrindole and 7-benzylidenenaltrexone, produced potent antitussive effects. These δ-opioid receptor-mediated antitussive effects may be mediated by the antagonism of δ1-, but not δ2-opioid receptors. In this review, we study the possibility of the δ-opioid receptor antagonist as a new concept for central acting antitussive drugs.

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Author for correspondence: J. Kamei. Tel: 81-3-5498-5030; Fax: 81-3-5498-5029; E-mail:[email protected]

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