Kappa Opioid Receptor Mediated Differential Regulation of Serotonin and Dopamine Transporters in Mood and Substance Use Disorder.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review summarizing preclinical mechanism-based literature without systematic synthesis or human trials
PubMed 34136961 · doi:10.1007/164_2021_499
What was done
This chapter is a narrative review synthesizing literature on the dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor (DYN/KOR) system. It examines cellular signaling cascades in cell models and native brain tissues, focusing on how KOR activity modulates dopamine and serotonin transporters (DAT and SERT) and influences dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmission in mood and substance use disorders.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative data, sample sizes, or effect sizes. It qualitatively describes that KOR activation differentially regulates SERT and DAT function, altering monoamine release and clearance in native brain tissue and cellular models.
Why it matters
Elucidating the specific molecular motifs and signaling mechanisms by which KOR regulates monoamine transport may inform the design of targeted pharmacotherapies for mood disorders and addiction that avoid standard KOR-related adverse effects such as dysphoria, aversion, sedation, and psychomimetic symptoms.
Limits
The abstract reports no original human data or quantitative meta-analysis. As a narrative review, it is prone to selection bias. Most described mechanisms derive from in vitro cell models and animal brain tissue preparations, limiting direct translational conclusions for human clinical populations.
Cited by
- supports Dynorphin is an endogenous opioid that binds to kappa-opioid receptors and produces dysphoria.