Inflammatory Responses to Acute and Chronic Opioid Exposure in Humans

Inflammatory Responses to Acute and Chronic Opioid Exposure in Humans

We aim to examine the extent to which inflammation is affected by acute and chronic opioid exposure.

We are interested in learning how the immune system and the inflammation process is effected by acute and chronic opioid exposure. Preliminary evidence in animal models show that acute opioid exposure leads to decreased inflammatory responses, while chronic opioid exposure causes increased inflammatory responses, as measured by local cytokine release at the site of injury. Translating these findings to humans will lead to important new mechanistic knowledge that may ultimately improve our ability to treat pain.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18-60 years old
• Healthy volunteer
• Not allergic to remifentanil

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients younger than 18 or older than 70
• Patients unwilling or unable to follow study instructions
• Patients who don't speak English
• Patients who are taking prescription opioid medications (e.g. vicodin, percocet) or are unwilling to refrain from taking anti-inflammatory medications such as Advil or Naproxen during 2 weeks prior to and during the 1 month study