Sex Differences in Opioid-Mediated Effects: Role of Androgens

The review from October 2020, "Sex Differences in Opioid-Mediated Effects: Role of Androgens," found significant sex differences in opioid-mediated effects, with women more likely to use prescription opioids and experience more negative consequences from opioid use. Men were more likely to use heroin and were less sensitive to the rewarding effects of opioids. The role of androgens in opioid intake was largely unknown. The study also found that male rodents were more sensitive to certain effects of morphine than female rodents, but less sensitive to its immunological/inflammatory and thermoregulatory effects. Testosterone levels were positively associated with greater pain thresholds in both men and women, and testosterone treatment reduced the need for opioid analgesia. The study concluded that androgens can modulate the concentrations of endogenous opioid peptides and receptors, potentially contributing to sex differences in sensitivity to opioid analgesia and the risk for opioid use disorder. Further research was needed to fully understand the role of androgens in opioid-mediated behavior.