(+)-BW373U86 is an

opioid Opioids are substances that act on opioid receptors to produce morphine-like effects. Medically they are primarily used for pain relief, including anesthesia. Other medical uses include suppression of diarrhea, replacement therapy for opioid use ...

analgesic drug used in scientific research. BW373U86 is a

selective agonist An agonist is a chemical that activates a receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an antagonist blocks the action of the agon ...

for the δ-opioid

receptor Receptor may refer to: * Sensory receptor, in physiology, any structure which, on receiving environmental stimuli, produces an informative nerve impulse *Receptor (biochemistry), in biochemistry, a protein molecule that receives and responds to a ...

, with approximately 15x stronger affinity for the δ-opioid than the

μ-opioid receptor The μ-opioid receptors (MOR) are a class of opioid receptors with a high affinity for enkephalins and beta-endorphin, but a low affinity for dynorphins. They are also referred to as μ(''mu'')-opioid peptide (MOP) receptors. The prototypical � ...

. It has potent analgesic and antidepressant effects in animal studies. In studies on rats, BW373U86 appears to protect heart muscle cells from apoptosis in conditions of ischemia (oxygen deprivation, such as in heart attack). The mechanism for this is complex and may be separate from its delta agonist effects.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bw373u86 Synthetic opioids Respiratory agents Delta-opioid receptor agonists Phenols Benzamides Piperazines Allyl compounds Mu-opioid receptor agonists