Sex differences in kappa opioid receptor antinociception is influenced by the number of X chromosomes in mouse.

ABSTRACT: Kappa opioid receptor (KOR) agonists produce robust analgesia with minimal abuse liability and are considered promising pharmacological agents to manage chronic pain and itch. The KOR system is also notable for robust differences between the sexes, with females exhibiting lower analgesic response than males. Sexually dimorphic traits can be due to either the influence of gonadal hormones during development or adulthood, or due to the complement of genes expressed on the X or Y chromosome. Previous studies examining sex differences in KOR antinociception have relied on surgical or pharmacological manipulation of the gonads to determine whether sex hormones influence KOR function. While there are conflicting reports whether gonadal hormones influence KOR function, no study has examined these

SUBMITTER: Taylor AMW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8452150 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature