Recombinant ?-? Receptor as a Marker of Opiate Abuse
The brain is particularly vulnerable to drugs of abuse changing the neuroreceptor functions. Opiates interact and overstimulate heterogeneous opioid receptors leading to their desensitization, internalization, and activation of recombinant opioid receptor. The molecular properties of rat and human brain recombinant ?-? receptor were compared with those of purified ?- and ?-receptors. cDNA coding the unique fragment of recombinant ?-? receptor was isolated and sequenced. We hypothesized that recombinant ?-? receptor may be a hallmark of opiate abuse. Peptide fragments of the ?- (MOR), ?- (DOR), and recombinant ?-?- (MDOR) receptors were used as antigens to assess the presence of autoantibodies in the blood of rats that self-administered heroin and cocaine, as well as drug abusers. Significant steady elevation of MDOR autoantibodies were measured in sera of rats that self-administered heroin compared to that for cocaine and vehicle animals. The appearance and increased level of MDOR autoantibodies in opiate abusers correlated with severity of the disorder and duration of drug exposure.
recombinant ?-? receptor opiate abusers cdna autoantibodies receptor heterogeneity self-administration