Role of kappa-opioid receptors in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension

Hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) is a pathological phenomenon in which hypoxia causes damage to vascular endothelial cells, leading to an imbalance in the synthesis and secretion of various vasodilator and contractile factors by the endothelium, which in turn triggers early pulmonary vasoconstriction and later pulmonary vascular remodeling. The mechanism of the occurrence is extremely complex. However, there is no cure for HPH at present. The research on the regulation mechanism and intervention of HPH has become an urgent scientific problem to be solved. This article reviews the role of κ-opioid receptor in the occurrence and development of HPH, aiming to introduce the latest progress of κ-opioid receptor in related research fields.