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Chronic Pain Stimuli Downregulate Mesolimbic Dopaminergic Transmission: Possible Mechanism of the Suppression of Opioid Reward

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Neurobiological Studies of Addiction in Chronic Pain States

Part of the book series: Contemporary Clinical Neuroscience ((CCNE,volume 17))

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Abstract

μ-Opioid agonists (μ-agonists), including morphine, are often used to treat the pain associated with cancer moderate-to-severe pain and moderate-to-severe noncancer pain due to other causes. However, μ-agonists also have various side-effects, in addition to potential for abuse or addiction. Recent clinical studies have shown that when μ-agonist analgesics are used appropriately to control pain, abuse and addiction usually do not develop. This chapter highlights recent findings regarding molecular adaptations observed in models of sustained pain, and discusses how such adaptations could reduce the abuse potential of μ-agonists under chronic pain.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Life Science Tokyo Advanced Research Center (L-StaR), 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8501, Japan

    Minoru Narita Ph.D.

  2. Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8501, Japan

    Minoru Narita Ph.D., Keiichi Niikura Ph.D., Akira Yamashita Ph.D., Daigo Ikegami Ph.D., Naoko Kuzumaki Ph.D. & Michiko Narita

  3. Department of Toxicology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8501, Japan

    Tsutomu Suzuki Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Minoru Narita Ph.D.
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  2. Keiichi Niikura Ph.D.
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  3. Akira Yamashita Ph.D.
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  4. Daigo Ikegami Ph.D.
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  5. Naoko Kuzumaki Ph.D.
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  6. Michiko Narita
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  7. Tsutomu Suzuki Ph.D.
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

    Carolyn A. Fairbanks

  2. Pain Mechanisms Laboratory, Department of Anesthesiology, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

    Thomas J. Martin, Ph.D.

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Narita, M. et al. (2014). Chronic Pain Stimuli Downregulate Mesolimbic Dopaminergic Transmission: Possible Mechanism of the Suppression of Opioid Reward. In: Fairbanks, C., Martin, Ph.D., T. (eds) Neurobiological Studies of Addiction in Chronic Pain States. Contemporary Clinical Neuroscience, vol 17. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1856-0_4

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