Opioid receptor systems and the endorphins: a review of their spinal organization

Abstract

✓ A review of the spinal organization of opioid receptor systems and endorphins is presented. The review is a consideration of the physiological mechanisms underlying the effect of spinal opioids, the pharmacology of the opioid receptors that moderate a variety of spinal processing systems, and the endorphin systems that act upon the spinal receptors.