Korean J Physiol Pharmacol.  2013 Oct;17(5):417-422. 10.4196/kjpp.2013.17.5.417.

Ineffective Doses of Dexmedetomidine Potentiates the Antinociception Induced by Morphine and Fentanyl in Acute Pain Model

• Unal M
• Gursoy S
• Altun A
• Duger C
• Kol IO
• Kaygusuz K
• Bagcivan I
• Mimaroglu

• KMID: 1500236
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4196/kjpp.2013.17.5.417

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the synergistic potentiation effect of ineffective doses of dexmedetomidine on antinociception induced by morphine and fentanyl in acute pain model in rats. Seventy albino Wistar rats were separated into 7 groups. Data for the control and sham groups were recorded. The ineffective dose of dexmedetomidine was investigated and found to be 3 micro g/kg. Each group was administered the following medications: 3 mg/kg morphine (intraperitoneal) to Group 3, 5 microg/kg fentanyl (intraperitoneal) to Group 4, dexmedetomidine 3 micro g/kg (subcutaneously) to Group 5, dexmedetomidine 3 microg/kg (subcutaneous)+3 mg/kg morphine (intraperitoneal) to Group 6 and finally 3 microg/kg dexmedetomidine (subcutaneous)+5 microg/kg fentanyl (intraperitoneal) to Group 7. Just before the application and 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min after the administration of medication, two measurements of tail flick (TF) and hot plate (HP) tests were performed. The averages of the measurements were recorded. TF and HP latencies were the main outcomes. The analgesic effect of the combinations with dexmedetomidine+morphine (Group 6) and dexmedetomidine+fentanyl (Group 7), compared to the analgesic effect of morphine alone and fentanyl alone was significantly higher at 15, 30, 60 and 90 minutes after administration. In this study, dexmedetomidine in ineffective doses, when combined with morphine and fentanyl, potentiates the effects of both morphine and fentanyl.

Keyword

Acute pain; Dexmedetomidine; Fentanyl; Morphine; Potentiation

MeSH Terms

Acute Pain*
Animals
Dexmedetomidine*
Fentanyl*
Morphine*
Rats
Rats, Wistar
Dexmedetomidine
Fentanyl
Morphine

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Tail flick latencies of different dexmedetomidine doses. *p<0.05 when compared to other doses, **p<0.05 when compared to other doses.

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  Fig. 2 Rota rod staying time.

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  Fig. 3 Tail flick latencies of control and sham groups.

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  Fig. 4 Tail flick latencies of sham, dexmedetomidine, morphine and dexmedetomidine+morphine groups. *p<0.05 when morphine group compared to other groups, **p<0.05 when dexmedetomidine+morphine group compared to morphine group and other groups.

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  Fig. 5 Tail flick latencies of sham, dexmedetomidine, fentanyl and dexmedetomidine+fentanyl groups. *p<0.05 when morphine group compared to other groups, **p<0.05 when dexmedetomidine+fentanyl group compared to fentanyl group and other groups.

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  Fig. 6 Hot plate latencies of control and sham groups.

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  Fig. 7 Hot plate latencies of sham, dexmedetomidine, morphine and dexmedetomidine+morphine groups. *p<0.05 when morphine group compared to other groups, **p<0.05 when dexmedetomidine+morphine group compared to morphine group and other groups.

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  Fig. 8 Hot plate latencies of sham, dexmedetomidine, fentanyl and dexmedetomidine+fentanyl groups. *p<0.05 when morphine group compared to other groups, **p<0.05 when dexmedetomidine+fentanyl group compared to fentanyl group and other groups.

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