Salutary and detrimental effects of the (+)- and (-)enantiomers of meptazinol in anesthetized rats subjected to hemorrhagic shock.

The effects of the two enantiomers of the opioid mixed agonist-antagonist meptazinol on mean arterial pressure (MABP), heart rate (HR), and survival time were investigated in pentobarbitone-anesthetized rats subjected to hemorrhagic shock. Following intravenous administration of (+)meptazinol (0.5 mg kg-1) to shocked animals (MABP, 30.0 +/- 0.2 mm Hg), there was significant and gradual elevation of MABP, which at the time the experiment was terminated did not differ significantly from preshock values. In addition, survival was prolonged by up to 7 days. Paradoxically, similar doses of (-)meptazinol produced further falls in MABP, significantly so at 60 min posttreatment. Likewise, the drug produced a slow progressive and significant decline in HR which culminated in premature death (mean survival time, 74.3 +/- 5.9 min, compared with a control value of 104.4 +/- 8.8 min; p less than 0.05). Our results demonstrate that the two enantiomers of meptazinol have opposing effects on hemorrhagic shock sequelae in the rat. It is surprising, in view of its known opioid antagonistic properties, that (-)meptazinol exerted a detrimental effect.

Dopamine receptor-mediated spinal antinociception in the normal and haloperidol pretreated rat: effects of sulpiride and SCH 23390.

Nociceptive tail flick latencies (TFL) were recorded in response to noxious thermal stimuli applied to lightly anaesthetized rats. The effects of intrathecally administered dopamine receptor agonists alone and combined with dopamine receptor antagonists were examined upon the TFL. Experiments were repeated on animals made supersensitive to dopamine following withdrawal from 28 day administration of haloperidol. In untreated animals the D2-receptor agonist LY 171555 and apomorphine produced an increase in TFL. In contrast, the Di-receptor agonist SKF 38393 had no significant effect on TFL. TFL. Following haloperidol-induced dopamine-supersensitivity, SKF 38393 produced an increase in TFL. In contrast, LY171555 and apomorphine had minimal effects on TFL in this preparation. In animals not treated with haloperidol, the dopamine receptor antagonists SCH 23390 and (+/-)-sulpiride both blocked the increase in TFL produced by the D2-agonists. SCH23390 and (+/-)-sulpiride also blocked the increase in TFL produced by SKF 38393 in haloperidol-supersensitized animals. The antinociceptive action of intrathecally administered dopamine agonists appears to be mediated via D2-receptors. Whether the antinociception produced by SKF 38393 is exclusively contingent upon the activation of D1-receptors in the dopamine-supersensitive animal is as yet unresolved.

Meptazinol activity on morphine-naive and morphine-dependent guinea-pig ileum: correlation with in vivo studies.

The effects of meptazinol and some opioid agonists and antagonists were studied on opioid-naive guinea-pig ileum (GPIN) and ileum taken from morphine-dependent guinea-pigs (GPID). Meptazinol produced a biphasic effect in GPIN and GPID with a depression of the electrically induced twitch response at lower concentrations and contractural potentiation at higher concentrations. The effects of meptazinol in both GPIN and GPID were similar, thus distinguishing it from the other opioid agonists and antagonists which produced differential effects on these tissues. In morphine-pelletted rats, meptazinol (5 mg/kg i.p.) did not produce notable withdrawal as measured by behavioural observation. However, meptazinol (30 mg/kg i.p.) enhanced the signs associated with cholinergic activation. It is suggested that meptazinol possesses a cholinergic component and that the morphine-withdrawal signs observed to the higher meptazinol dose were more probably attributable to cholinergic stimulation rather than any underlying opioid-precipitated withdrawal.

Effects of elevated calcium and calcium antagonists on 6,7-benzomorphan-induced analgesia.

The hypothesis that the nociceptive state and opiate-induced antinociception are generally regulated by Ca2+ brain levels has been tested. In this context, the effects of intracerebroventricular injections of CaCl2 (0.1-0.5 mumol), D600 (5.0-10.0 micrograms) and EGTA (0.5-1.0 mumol) on ethylketocyclazocine (EKC), ketocyclazocine (KC), Mr-2033, pentazocine (PTC), bremazocine (BMC) and SKF 10,047-induced antinociception were investigated in the mouse tail immersion test. Simultaneous treatment with either D600 or EGTA resulted in a significant and dose-related enhancement in the activities of the kappa-agonists: EKC, KC and Mr-2033, whilst the activities of PTC, BMC and SKF 10,047 remained unchanged. CaCl2 readily blocked the activities of all benzomorphans tested except that of SKF 10,047 against which CaCl2 was less effective. In addition a dose-related hyperalgesia was observed when CaCl2 was given alone. Although the results obtained from the kappa-agonists and CaCl2 per se support the hypothesis in question, data obtained from PTC, BMC and SKF 10,047 tends to oppose it. Additionally the present results taken together indirectly substantiate the notion that benzomorphan-induced analgesia may involve different opiate-sensitive neuronal substrates.

Differential effects of SKF 38393 and LY 141865 on nociception and morphine analgesia.

The effects of SKF 38393 and LY 141865 on nociceptive sensitivity and morphine-induced analgesia were compared. SKF 38393 administered to mice either peripherally or centrally was without effect on either base line response latencies or morphine's analgesia. By contrast, s.c. injections of LY 141865 resulted in a dose-related hyperalgesia. A paradoxical analgesia was observed when LY 141865 was given intracerebroventricularly. Both the analgesia and hyperalgesia were antagonized by sulpiride but remained unaffected by the opioid antagonist Mr-1452. Central and peripheral pretreatment with LY 141865 resulted in respective enhancement and attenuation in the analgesic activity of morphine. The present results would indicate that D-2 receptors may be involved in nociception and analgesic mechanisms. In addition it suggests that D-2 receptors may exert both inhibitory and facilitatory influences on nociceptive and analgesic mechanisms.

Stereospecific inhibition of oxotremorine-induced antinociception by (+)-isomers of opioid antagonists: comparison with opioid receptor agonists.

The antagonistic effects of the two benzomorphan opioid antagonists, Mr-1452 and Mr-2266 and their respective (+)-isomers Mr-1453 and Mr-2267 upon morphine, ethylketocyclazocine (EKC), D-ala2-D-leu5-enkephalinamide (BW 180-C) and oxotremorine (OTMN) antinociceptive activity in mice were investigated. Pretreatment with either Mr-1452 (2.0 mg Kg-1 i.p.) or Mr-2266 (2.0 mg kg-1 i.p.) significantly antagonized the antinociceptive effects of the three opioid agonists in the hot plate test, but were ineffective against OTMN, which in contrast was antagonized by the (+)-isomers. Interaction between the antagonists and submaximal analgesic doses of the opioids or OTMN produced similar results in the tail immersion assay. However, the effect of Mr-2267 on OTMN was biphasic and this contrasted with Mr-1453 which produced consistent and graded antagonism.

Some observations on the effects of enantiomers of two benzomorphan narcotic antagonists and atropine on analgesia, tremor and hypothermia produced by oxotremorine.

The action of the benzomorphan narcotic antagonists Mr-1452 and Mr-2266 and their respective (+) isomers Mr-1453 and Mr-2267 as well as the antimuscarinic agent atropine upon oxotremorine (OTMN)-induced analgesia, tremor, and hypothermia were investigated in mice. The (+) isomers Mr-1453 (1.0 mg kg-1 i.p.) and Mr-2267 (2.0 mg kg-1 i.p.), but not the (-) isomers (Mr-1452 and Mr-2266) in doses up to 2.0 mg kg-1 i.p. after 30 min pretreatment produced a significant and parallel shift in OTMN's analgesic dose-response line, assessed by the hot plate test (55 degrees C). None of the isomers tested produced any significant change in OTMN induced tremor or hypothermia. This contrasted with atropine (0.5 mg kg-1 i.p.) which antagonized all three pharmacological parameters. The present data indicate that OTMN-induced analgesia in mice may involve a neuronal substrate which, at least partly, differs from those subserving tremor and hypothermia. In addition it supports the notion that cholinergic analgesia exhibits stereospecific sensitivity to the (+) isomers of narcotic antagonists.