Quantitative Analysis of MOR-1 Internalization in Spinal Cord of Morphine-Tolerant Mice

Methods Mol Biol. 2021:2201:99-108. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0884-5_9.

Abstract

The biological process of opioid analgesic tolerance remains nowadays elusive. In particular the mechanism by which opioid receptor desensitization occurs has not been completely elucidated to date. One possible hypothesis involves the internalization of MOR. Here, we describe a simple in vitro protocol to investigate the localization of MOR-1 after repeated morphine administration in the spinal cord of morphine-tolerant mice, using western blotting and immunofluorescence techniques.

Keywords: Internalization; Morphine; Tolerance; μ-Opioid receptor.

MeSH terms

  • Analgesics, Opioid / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Blotting, Western / methods*
  • Drug Tolerance / immunology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Morphine / pharmacology
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / genetics
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / metabolism
  • Receptors, Opioid / genetics
  • Receptors, Opioid / immunology
  • Receptors, Opioid / metabolism
  • Receptors, Opioid, mu / genetics
  • Receptors, Opioid, mu / immunology*
  • Receptors, Opioid, mu / metabolism
  • Spinal Cord / immunology*
  • Spinal Cord / metabolism

Substances

  • Analgesics, Opioid
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • Receptors, Opioid
  • Receptors, Opioid, mu
  • Morphine