On the Relationship Between Placental Opioid-Enhancing Factor and Neuropeptide FF

Abstract

Both ingested placenta and Neuropeptide FF (NPFF) are known to modify opioid activity. The following mini-review highlights the similarities in the function of ingested placenta and NPFF, and suggests that NPFF may be a key peptide mediating the CNS-based actions of ingested placenta. There is an advantage to understanding the mechanism of ingested placenta’s modification of opioid activity, in that such understanding may contribute to alternate painmanagement strategies.