A Synergistic Approach to evaluate the
Anti-Nociceptive Activity of a GABA Agonist with Opioids in Albino Mice
682-687
Correspondence
Dr. G. Francis Britto,
Department of pharmacology, IRT-PMC, Sanatorium (post),
Perundurai, Erode, TN.
PIN: 638053
Phone:09025154465
E-mail: stbritto@hotmail.com
Opioids constitute the first-line treatment for pain and they provide a potent analgesic effect, but they are also responsible for various adverse effects such as nausea, vomiting, sedation, constipation and respiratory depression, which seriously limit their use. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a GABA agonist which was given along with opioids at a minimal dose could elicit an anti-nociceptive activity in albino mice or not, as compared to morphine. Analgesia evaluation by using the acute pain model hotplate method was employed. The GABA agonists Gabapentin, Baclofen, Tiagabine and Vigabatrine with opioids Morphine and Tramadol, separately, at minimal doses, were given to mice and they were compared with a morphine analgesic dose. Morphine 3mg/kg showed a significant analgesic effect. This dose hot plate latency was taken as a standard and this was compared with all the test drugs which were used in this study. Morphine 1mg/kg (low dose) alone showed minimal antinociception, whereas in combination with a low dose GABA agonist, it showed significant antinociception. Tramadol 20mg/kg showed a significant analgesic effect and Tramadol 10mg/kg (low dose) showed a minimal analgesic effect, whereas the low dose Tramadol with the low dose GABA agonists in a combination showed a significant analgesic effect as that of Morphine 3mg/kg. The combination of a minimal dose of opioid and a GABA agonist has a significant anti nociceptive activity