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An. R. Acad. Nac. Farm., 2009, 75 (3): 389-418
REVISIONES
Central and peripheral endogenous morphine
Yannick Goumon *, Alexis Laux, Arnaud Muller, Dominique Aunis
* Inserm U575. Strasbourg, France.
Recibido el 28 de abril de 2009.
ABSTRACT
Morphine was first identified in opium from Papaver somniferum,
and is still one of the strongest known analgesic compounds used in
hospital. Since the beginning of the 80s, endogenous morphine, with
an identical structure to that of morphine isolated from poppies, has
been characterised in numerous mammalian cells and tissues. In
mammals, the biosynthesis of endogenous morphine is associated
with dopamine, as demonstrated in the SH-SY5Y human neuronal
catecholamine-producing cell line. More recently, morphine and
morphine-6-glucuronide has been shown to be present in the human
neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line and that morphine is secreted from
the large dense core vesicles in response to nicotine stimulation via
a Ca2+-dependent mechanism suggesting its implication in neuro-
transmission.
An increasing number of publications have demonstrated its pre-
sence and implication in different biological processes at the central
and peripheral levels. The present review reports the major data
concerning endogenous morphine presence and implication in phy-
siological processes.
Key words: Morphine; Alkaloid; Morphine-6-Glucuronide; Anal-
gesia; ยต Opioid Receptor.
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