PSYC 207 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Opioid Peptide, Opioid Receptor, Cyp2D6
Document Summary
Narcotic analgesics: reduce pain and make you feel numb. Opium comes from the poppy used for deafness, headache, asthma, diarrhea, cough etc. No concern about long term safety, increased focus on addictive effects of opioids. New drugs had the therapeutic effect but didn"t have the addictive potential and withdrawal symptoms = heroin. Minor differences in structure contribute to effectiveness and side effects of different opioids. Opioid: compounds that act on opioid receptors but are not opium derived. Simple modifications in morphine molecule = big variations in potency. The acetyl groups in heroin makes it able to pass through bbb better than morphine. Differences are in pharmacokinetics not receptor interactions. Involved in metabolism in more than 50% of all drugs. People with allelic variant of the gene can have increased. Cyp2d6 activity equalling rapid metabolism which increases risk of overdose. Aversive effects: dysphoria, restlessness, anxiety and nausea. Absorption: only small fraction crosses the bbb.
