Open AccessEthanol and opioids do not act synergistically to depress excitation in carotid body type I cells
Author(s) -
Ryan J. Rakoczy,
Kajal Kamra,
Yoon-Jae Yi,
Christopher N. Wyatt
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
neuroreport/neuroreport
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.607
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1473-558X
pISSN - 0959-4965
DOI - 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001726
Subject(s) - damgo , carotid body , agonist , chemistry , opioid , calcium , endocrinology , medicine , ethanol , enkephalin , ventilation (architecture) , receptor , pharmacology , electrophysiology , biochemistry , mechanical engineering , engineering
The combination of opioids and ethanol can synergistically depress breathing and the acute ventilatory response to hypoxia. Multiple studies have shown that the underlying mechanisms for this may involve calcium channel inhibition in central neurons. But we have previously identified opioid receptors in the carotid bodies and shown that their activation inhibits calcium influx into the chemosensitive cells. Given that the carotid bodies contribute to the drive to breathe and underpin the acute hypoxic ventilatory response, we hypothesized that ethanol and opioids may act synergistically in these peripheral sensory organs to further inhibit calcium influx and therefore inhibit ventilation.