Evaluation of a muscle relaxant on sequelae of third molar surgery: a pilot study.

Objective: The aim of this preliminary study was to evaluate the influence of the muscle relaxant tizanidine following third molar surgery on the main variables trismus and pain as well as on swelling.

Study Design: Fifty healthy patients participated in this prospective clinical study. The test group received tizanidine (4 mg in the evenings for the first 2 postoperative days) in addition to antibiotic and antiinflammatory medications.

Visualizing preference of G protein-coupled receptor kinase 3 for the process of kappa-opioid receptor sequestration.

G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) phosphorylate opioid receptors, which eventually results in receptor sequestration. With respect to kappa-opioid receptors, it is known that internalization occurs in a species-specific manner. That is, the agonist-occupied human kappa-receptors will sequester whereas murine receptors fail to do so.

Opioid receptor types selectively cointernalize with G protein-coupled receptor kinases 2 and 3.

Activation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) may bring about their disappearance from the cell membrane, and it is commonly accepted that G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) play a key function in this mechanism. Opioid receptors belong to the family of GPCRs and are substrates of GRKs. We examined the fate of delta- and mu-opioid receptors and GRK2 and 3 in living cells during the process of receptor sequestration, using laser scanning microscopy.