ABSTRACT
Opioid analgesics are the pharmacological cornerstone in the treatment of pain but come with serious risks due to their addictive properties and respiratory depressant effects. Misuse and overdose associated with opioid prescriptions or street drugs can lead to severe respiratory depression, hospitalization, and eventually death. The most serious side-effect of opioid drugs is respiratory depression which is associated with morbidity and mortality. In this chapter, we highlight discoveries from animal studies that help us better understand opioid-induced respiratory depression in humans. The impact of opioid drugs on respiratory functions and the underlying neural circuits mediating opioid-induced respiratory depression are summarized in parallel to human studies investigating respiratory depression by opioid drugs. Understanding the mechanisms of action of opioid drugs on the different components of the respiratory system in animal models provide new insights into the potential mechanisms of action of opioids in patient populations.
