Multifaceted Effects of Delta Opioid Receptors and DADLE in Diseases of the Nervous System.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The opioid system is considered a potential therapeutic target in a variety of neurological disorders. Delta opioid receptors (DORs) are broadly expressed in the brain, and their activation protects cells from hypoxic/ischemic insults by counteracting disruptions of ionic homeostasis and initiating neuroprotective pathways. The DOR agonist D-Ala2-D-Leu2-Enkephalin (DADLE) promotes neuronal survival, mitigates apoptotic pathways, and protects neurons and glial cells from ischemia-induced cell death, thus making DADLE a promising therapeutic option for stroke. The significant amount of research regarding DORs and DADLE in the last decades also suggests their potential in treating other neurological disorders.

METHODS:

This review compiled relevant literature detailing the role of DORs and agonists in central nervous system function and neuropathologies.

RESULTS:

Several studies demonstrate potential mechanisms implicating a key interaction between DORs and DADLE in conferring neuroprotective benefits. A better understanding of DOR function in disease-specific contexts is critical to transitioning DOR agonists into the clinic as a therapy for stroke and other neurological diseases.

CONCLUSION:

Evidence-based studies support the potential of the delta-opioid family of receptors and its ligands in developing novel therapeutic strategies for stroke and other brain disorders.

• Authors: Jea-Young Lee, M Grant Liska, Marci Crowley, Kaya Xu, Sandra A Acosta, Cesar V Borlongan, Vivian A Guedes
• Journal: Current drug discovery technologies (Curr Drug Discov Technol) Vol. 15 Issue 2 Pg. 94-108 ( 2018) ISSN: 1875-6220 [Electronic] United Arab Emirates
• PMID: 29032758 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at [email protected].

Chemical References

• Analgesics, Opioid
• Receptors, Opioid, delta
• Enkephalin, Leucine-2-Alanine

Topics

• Analgesics, Opioid (metabolism, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Animals
• Enkephalin, Leucine-2-Alanine (metabolism, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Nervous System Diseases (drug therapy, metabolism)
• Receptors, Opioid, delta (agonists, metabolism)