Antinociceptive potentiation of pethidine (demerol) by clomipramine in the late phase of formalin test in mice

The Pan African Medical Journal

Hellen N Kariuki¹  Paul G Kioy¹  Titus I Kanui² 

[1] Department of Medical Physiology, University of Nairobi, P. O. Box 30197 (00100) Nairobi, Kenya;Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology, University of Nairobi, P. O. Box 30197 (00100), Nairobi, Kenya;

关键词: pethidine;    clomipramine;    formalin test;    late phase;    potentiation;    mice;   

DOI  :  10.11604/pamj.2012.12.28.1682

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

BACKGROUND: Pethidine, an opioid analgesic is used for pain management. Clomipramine a tricyclic antidepressant primarily used for mood management is also used to treat pain. The objective of this study was to investigate the potentiation of the analgesic effects of sub-threshold dose of pethidine by a tricyclic antidepressant, clomipramine. METHODS: The antinociceptive activities of clomipramine and pethidine alone and in combination were investigated in Swiss albino mice using the formalin test. Normal saline was employed as the control. Ten animals were used in each experiment. RESULTS: Pethidine 5mg / kg failed to cause any significant effect while the 6.25, 7.5, 8.75 and 10.0mg /kg showed highly significant antinociceptive effect (pless than 0.01) compared to the controls in the late phase of formalin test. Clomipramine 0.5 mg / kg did not show any significant effect while 0.75 mg / kg caused a significant effect (pless than 0.05) while 1.00 and 1.25mg /kg caused a very highly significant antinociceptive effect (pless than 0.001) in the late phase of formalin test compared to the vehicle treated animals. The combination of pethidine 5mg / kg and clomipramine 0.75mg / kg caused a highly significant antinociceptive effect (P less than0.01) in the late phase of formalin test. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates a marked reduction in the time spent in pain behaviour produced by the combination of low dose pethidine and clomipramine in the late phase of formalin test. The findings demonstrate the potentiation of a narcotic analgesic by a tricyclic antidepressant.

【 授权许可】

Unknown