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Review
. 2010 Oct;33(10):1575-87.
doi: 10.1007/s12272-010-1009-4. Epub 2010 Oct 30.

Neuropsychopharmacological understanding for therapeutic application of morphinans

Eun-Joo Shin  1 , Jau-Shyong Hong, Hyoung-Chun Kim
Affiliations
Review

Neuropsychopharmacological understanding for therapeutic application of morphinans

Eun-Joo Shin et al. Arch Pharm Res. 2010 Oct.

Abstract

Morphinans are a class of compounds containing the basic structure of morphine. It is well-known that morphinans possess diverse pharmacological effects on the central nervous system. This review will demonstrate novel neuroprotective effects of several morphinans such as, dextromethorphan, its analogs and naloxone on the models of multiple neurodegenerative disease by modulating glial activation associated with the production of a host of proinflammatory and neurotoxic factors, although dextromethorphan possesses neuropsychotoxic potentials. The neuroprotective effects and the therapeutic potential for the treatment of excitotoxic and inflammatory neurodegenerative diseases, and underlying mechanism of morphinans are discussed.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Structures of morphine, naloxone, dextromethorphan (DM), and DM analogs
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Metabolic pathway of DM. CYP = cytochrome P450
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Neuropharmacological actions mediated by morphinans
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