Opiates increase plasma catecholamines in humans.

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Hoehe M, Duka T

Opiates increase plasma catecholamines in humans.

Psychoneuroendocrinology. 1993;18(2):141-8.

PubMed ID

8388112 [ View in PubMed

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Abstract

Evidence from animal studies suggests that centrally acting opiates and opioid peptides increase catecholamine (CA) plasma concentrations, reflecting a central activation of sympathetic outflow. We describe here similar opiate actions in humans. Increasing doses of the potent mu opioid receptor agonist fentanyl (FE), 0.1, 0.2, and 0.25 mg/70 kg body weight (bw), induced a significant, dose-dependent increase of noradrenaline (NA) and adrenaline (A) plasma concentrations in healthy male individuals. Whereas NA increased continuously with increasing FE dose, a maximum A response was already reached at the lowest dose. These dose-related NA and A response patterns, showing a higher A sensitivity to opiate receptor stimulation, corresponded closely to those reported from animal studies. Furthermore, comparing the CA releasing potency of 0.2 mg FE/70 kg bw to analgetically equipotent doses of the less selective mu opioid receptor agonist morphine and the kappa agonist/mu antagonist nalbuphine in different groups of male individuals, we found similar effects of these opiates on CA plasma concentrations. These data suggest that the opiate-induced CA release in humans is not only mediated by mu opioid receptors, but may also involve kappa opioid receptor subtypes.

DrugBank Data that Cites this Article

Drug Targets

Drug	Target	Kind	Organism	Pharmacological Action	Actions
Nalbuphine	Kappa-type opioid receptor	Protein	Humans	Yes	Agonist	Details
Nalbuphine	Mu-type opioid receptor	Protein	Humans	Yes	Antagonist	Details