The interaction of Regulator of G protein Signaling 4 (RGS4) with the rat mu opioid receptor (MOR)/G protein complex was investigated. Solubilized MOR from rat brain membranes was immunoprecipitated in the presence of RGS4 with antibodies against the N-terminus of MOR (anti-MOR10-70 ). Activation of MOR with [D-Ala(2) , N-Me-Phe(4) , Gly(5) -ol] enkephalin (DAMGO) during immunoprecipitation cau...

Infusion of a mu opioid receptor (MOR) agonist into the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) drives voracious food intake, an effect hypothesized to occur through increased tastant palatability. While intake of many palatable foods is elevated by MOR stimulation, this manipulation has a preferential effect on fatty food ingestion. Consumption of high-fat foods is increased by NAcc MOR stimulation even in r...

BACKGROUND Mu opioid receptor (MOR) plays a crucial role in mediating analgesic effects of opioids and is closely associated with the pathologies of neuropathic pain. Previous studies have reported that peripheral nerve injury downregulates MOR expression, but the epigenetic mechanisms remain unknown. OBJECTIVE Therefore, we investigated DNA methyltransferase3a (DNMT3a) expression or methylat...

BACKGROUND We and others have previously demonstrated that the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) is overexpressed in several human malignancies. There is a seven-fold increase in MOR in cell lines of human lung cancer. In animal models, overexpression of MOR promotes tumour growth and metastasis. We, therefore, examined whether MOR expression is increased in metastatic lung cancer. METHODS In this stud...

55455 This article has not been copyedited and formatted. The final version may differ from this version. This article has not been copyedited and formatted. The final version may differ from this version. ABSTRACT Since the discovery of mu opioid receptor (MOR) gene two decades ago, various regulatory factors have been shown to interact with the MOR promoter and modulate transcript levels. How...

Inhibition of adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity is frequently used to measure µ-opioid receptor (MOR) activation. We sought to develop a simple, rapid assay of AC activity in whole cells that could be used to study MOR signaling. Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing human MOR (CHO-MOR cells) were grown in 96-well plates and loaded with membrane potential-sensitive fluorescent dye. CHO-MOR cells ...

The mechanisms that regulate cytoskeletal remodeling during the transition between mitosis and interphase are poorly understood. In fission yeast the MOR pathway promotes actin polarization to cell tips in interphase, whereas the SIN signaling pathway drives actomyosin ring assembly and cytokinesis. We show that the SIN inhibits MOR signaling in mitosis by interfering with Nak1 kinase-mediated ...

Bone cancer pain has been reported to have unique mechanisms and is resistant to morphine treatment. Recent studies have indicated that neuron-restrictive silencer factor (NRSF) plays a crucial role in modulating the expression of the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) gene. The present study elucidates the regulatory mechanisms of MOR and its ability to affect bone cancer pain. Using a sarcoma-inoculated...

Unilateral ligation of the tendon of anterior superficial part of rat masseter muscle (TASM) leads to long-lasting allodynia. Sex differences in peripheral mu-opioid receptor (MOR)-mediated analgesia under persistent myogenic pain are not well understood. In this study, we examined (1) whether locally applied MOR agonists attenuate persistent pain following TASM ligation in a sex dependent mann...