Dermorphin Blocks Apneic Response to Intravenous Bolus Injection of Fentanyl

Rapid intravenous injection of overdose fentanyl triggers an immediate sustained apnea (ventilatory arrest), leading to sudden death within a few minutes in humans. Results in this study demonstrate that dermorphin pretreatment prevents the immediate apnea likely via desensitization of mu-opioid receptors in rats.

快速静脉注射过量芬太尼可引发即刻持续性呼吸暂停（ventilatory arrest，呼吸停止），进而导致人类在数分钟内突发死亡。本研究结果显示，在大鼠体内，德莫啡肽（dermorphin）预处理可能通过使μ阿片受体（mu-opioid receptors）发生脱敏作用，从而阻断该即刻性呼吸暂停。