Effects of oxytocin and oxytocin receptor antagonist atosiban on nociception and morphine analgesia in rats
Abstract
Objective: Oxytocin is a peptide-based hormone released
from the supraoptic nucleus and paraventricular nucleus in the hypothalamus and consisting of nine
amino acids. It has been shown that oxytocin may have an effect on opiate
receptors. Atosiban is a oxytocin receptor antagonist. Our aim in this study
was to investigate the effects of oxytocin and atosiban on nociception and
morphine analgesia.
Method: In our study, 48 Wistar Albino 230-260 g male rats
were used. The animals were divided into eight groups (control, 200 μg/kg
oxytocin, 3 mg/kg atosiban, oxytocin+ atosiban, 5 mg/kg morphine, morphine+
oxytocin, morphine+atosiban and morphine+ oxytocin+ atosiban). Serum
physiologic to the control group, oxytocin and atosiban were given
intraperitoneally (i.p.) at the indicated doses to the other groups. Morphine
was administered subcutaneously (s.c.). Analgesic effects were assessed by hot
plate and tail flick analgesia tests. The resulting analgesic effect was
measured and recorded at the 15th, 30th, 60th, 90th and 120th minutes.
Assessment of analgesic effect was formulated as % analgesia (MPE) (% analgesia
= 100x [post drug reaction time-pre drug reaction time]/ [cut off time-pre drug
reaction time]).
Results: Oxytocin showed analgesic activity (p<0,05). Atosiban showed
hyperalgesic activity and decreased the analgesic activity of oxytocin when
given with oxytocin (p<0,05). Oxytocin increased the analgesic activity of
morphine (p<0.05). In addition, although atosiban did not alter the
analgesic activity of morphine, morphine analgesia increased by oxytocin was
reduced (p<0.05).
Conclusions: According to these results, it can be said that although atosiban does
not change on the analgesic effect of morphine alone, it blocks the effect of
oxytocin on morphine analgesia.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Health Care Administration
Journal Section
Research Article
Publication Date
December 18, 2017
Submission Date
August 11, 2017
Acceptance Date
December 11, 2017
Published in Issue
Year 2017 Volume: 39 Number: 4