(220) Involvement of the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway in the Peripheral and Central Nervous System in the Development of Morphine Tolerance

The management of chronic pain with opioids can cause opioid-induced analgesic tolerance (OIT) and hyperalgesia (OIH), which complicates clinical pain-management treatments. Although G-protein coupled receptors have been studied for years, the intracellular signaling pathways triggered by the activation of µ-opioid receptors are not well known. We sought to determine whether OIT is linked to a decreased activity in the PI3K/AKT intracellular signaling pathway. To assess this pathway, 25 C57BL/6 WT male mice (21 ± 4g) were divided into control (n=10, 1 μL saline) and experimental (n=10, 15 mg/kg of morphine; n=5, spinal nerve ligation (SNL) at the L4 vertebrae with 15 mg/kg of morphine) groups.
Source: The Journal of Pain - Category: Materials Science Authors: Source Type: research