Thioredoxin-1 expression regulated by morphine in SH-SY5Y cells.

Attempts are being made to identify genes targeted by morphine. It is beneficial for developing new treatments that alleviate side-effects of morphine. Thioredoxin-1 is a small ubiquitous protein that has various biological activities, such as the control of redox balance, the inhibition of apoptosis and the modulation of inflammation. In this study, we found that thioredoxin-1 was induced by morphine in SH-SY5Y cells. Furthermore, opioid receptor, PI3K and ERK pathways were involved in morphine-induced increase of thioredoxin-1 expression. These results suggest that thioredoxin-1 maybe play a role in the actions of morphine. More detailed analysis could clarify cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the actions of morphine.