Nerve trauma-caused downregulation of opioid receptors in primary afferent neurons: Molecular mechanisms and potential managements.

ABSTRACT: Neuropathic pain is the most common clinical disorder destroying the quality of patient life and leading to a marked economic and social burden. Opioids are still last option for pharmacological treatment of this disorder, but their antinociceptive effects are limited in part due to the downregulation of opioid receptors in the primary afferent neurons after peripheral nerve trauma. How this downregulation occurs is not completely understood, but recent studies have demonstrated that peripheral nerve trauma drives the alterations in epigenetic modifications (including DNA methylation, histone methylation and mciroRNAs), expression of transcription factors, post-transcriptional modifications (e.g., RNA methylation) and protein translation initiation in the neurons of nerve trauma-related do

SUBMITTER: Zheng BX 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7870536 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature