Opioid receptors comprise μ (MOP), δ (DOP), κ (KOP), and nociceptin/orphanin FQ (NOP)
receptors. Opioids are agonists of MOP, DOP, and KOP receptors, whereas …

Pain can be effectively diminished by various endogenous mechanisms within the central
nervous system. One region where these mechanisms have been well characterized is the …

Introduction: Opioids are the oldest and most potent drugs for the treatment of severe pain,
but they are burdened by detrimental side effects such as respiratory depression, addiction …

Periapical inflammatory responses occur as a consequence of bacterial infection of the
dental pulp, as a result of caries, trauma, or iatrogenic insult. Periapical inflammation …

Traditionally, opioids exert analgesic effects through actions within the central nervous
system (CNS) exclusively (1). Recently, however, evidence has begun to accumulate that …

There is nou, overwhelming evtdence that cytokines, peptide hormones and
neurotransmitters, as well as their receptors, are endogenous to the brain, endocrine and …

First identified by Said and Mutt some 30 years ago, the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)
was originally isolated as a vasodilator peptide. Subsequently, its biochemistry was …

The advance in our understanding of the biogenesis of various endogenous opioid
peptides, their anatomical distribution, and the characteristics of the multiple receptors with …

This review summarizes recent findings on peripheral mechanisms underlying the
generation and inhibition of pain. The focus is on events occurring in peripheral injured …

Endogenous opioids are synthesized in vivo to modulate pain mechanisms and
inflammatory pathways. Endogenous and exogenous opioids mediate analgesia in …