ABSTRACT
The effect of chronic administration of butorphanol. a totally synthetic opioid with agonistic-antagonistic activity, on lipid metabolism and suprarenal function and its interaction with adrenergic receptors was investigated 40 mice were divided into four groups; the first group served as a control group, the second group received daily butorphanol injections for six weeks with gradual increase in dose every week. The third group received butorphanol and Co-dergocrine Mesylate [hydergine], an alphaadrenergic blocker, and the forth group received butorphanol and propranolol [Inderal], a beta adrenergic-blocker, for the same period. Animals were weighed at the beginning and at the end of the experiment and the following parameters were estimated at the end of the experiment: serum cholesterol, phospholipid-s triglycerides, liver triglycerides, serum Na+, K+ and cortisol. We found that butorphanol tartarate caused a significant decrease in body weight gain% and a significant increase in serum lipids [cholesterol, triqlycerides and phospholipids] with a significant decrease in liver triglycerides indicating an apparent inhibitory effect on lipid metabolism. Also, serum K+ increased with a significant decrease in serum sodium and serum cortisol indicating a possible suppressive effect of butorphanol on suprarenal function. We found also that the use of alpha or beta adrenergic receptor blockers could improve the body weight gain and ameliorate the effects of butorphanol on serum cholesterol, serum triglyceides, serum phospholipids. liver triglycerides, serum Na+. K+ and cortisol. We conclude that repeated administration of increasing doses of the synthetic opioid butorphanol could affect the lipid metabolism and the suprarenal function and that blocking of adrenergic activity by alpha or beta-adrenergic blockers may have a role in ameliorating these effects