Morphine stimulates nitric oxide release in human mitochondria

The expression of morphine by plants, invertebrate, and vertebrate cells and organ systems, strongly indicates a high level of evolutionary conservation of morphine and related morphinan alkaloids as required for life. The prototype catecholamine, dopamine, serves as an essential chemical intermedia...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of bioenergetics and biomembranes 2015-10, Vol.47 (5), p.409-417
Main Authors: Stefano, George B., Mantione, Kirk J., Capellan, Lismary, Casares, Federico M., Challenger, Sean, Ramin, Rohina, Samuel, Joshua M., Snyder, Christopher, Kream, Richard M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal Anatomy
Animal Biochemistry
Autocrine Communication - drug effects
Biochemistry
Bioorganic Chemistry
Biosynthesis
Cardiovascular system
Cell Line
Chemistry
Chemistry and Materials Science
Energy Metabolism - drug effects
Flowers & plants
Gene expression
Histology
Humans
Invertebrates
Mitochondria
Mitochondria - metabolism
Morphine - pharmacology
Morphology
Nitric oxide
Nitric Oxide - biosynthesis
Organic Chemistry
Paracrine Communication - drug effects
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Summary:The expression of morphine by plants, invertebrate, and vertebrate cells and organ systems, strongly indicates a high level of evolutionary conservation of morphine and related morphinan alkaloids as required for life. The prototype catecholamine, dopamine, serves as an essential chemical intermediate in morphine biosynthesis, both in plants and animals. We surmise that, before the emergence of specialized plant and animal cells/organ systems, primordial multi-potential cell types required selective mechanisms to limit their responsiveness to environmental cues. Accordingly, cellular systems that emerged with the potential for recruitment of the free radical gas nitric oxide (NO) as a multi-faceted autocrine/paracrine signaling molecule, were provided with extremely positive evolutionary advantages. Endogenous morphinergic signaling, in concert with NO-coupled signaling systems, has evolved as an autocrine/paracrine regulator of metabolic homeostasis, energy metabolism, mitochondrial respiration and energy production. Basic physiological processes involving morphinergic/NO-coupled regulation of mitochondrial function, with special emphasis on the cardiovascular system, are critical to all organismic survival. Key to this concept may be the phenomenon of mitochondrial enslavement in eukaryotic evolution via endogenous morphine.
ISSN:0145-479X
1573-6881
DOI:10.1007/s10863-015-9626-8