Opioid receptors in the GI tract: targets for treatment of both diarrhea and constipation in functional bowel disorders?

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Pannemans J, Corsetti M

Opioid receptors in the GI tract: targets for treatment of both diarrhea and constipation in functional bowel disorders?

Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2018 Dec;43:53-58. doi: 10.1016/j.coph.2018.08.008. Epub 2018 Sep 3.

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30189347 [ View in PubMed
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Abstract

Opioids have been used for centuries, mostly as a sedative and to treat pain. Currently, they are used on a global scale for the treatment of acute and chronic pain in diseases as osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, and low back pain. Binding of opioids on opioid receptors can cause a range of different effects such as changes in stress response, analgesia, motor activity and autonomic functions. This review provide a synthetic summary of the most recent literature on the use of drugs acting on mu-receptors to treat two prevalent functional bowel disorders, presenting with opposite bowel habit. Eluxadoline and naloxegol, methylnaltrexone and naldemedine are recently FDA and/or EMA approved drugs demonstrated to be effective and safe for treatment respectively of irritable bowel syndrome subtype diarrhea and opioid induced constipation.

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