title: Antinociceptive activity and mechanism of action of detomidine.
abstract: The antinociceptive activity and mechanism of action of detomidine, a novel sedative-analgesic, were studied in mice and rats. Xylazine and morphine were included in the studies for comparison. In both acetic acid-induced writhing test in mice, and in tail flick test in rats, detomidine had potent, dose-dependent antinociceptive effects with ED50 values of 0.06 and 0.2 mg/kg i.p., respectively. Both xylazine and morphine were clearly less potent than detomidine in these tests. The antinociceptive effect of detomidine was only inhibited by alpha-2 antagonists (idazoxan, rauwolscine), which suggests that this action is mediated through stimulation of alpha-2 adrenoceptors. The significance of these findings for the use of detomidine in veterinary medicine is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates; D019342:Acetic Acid; D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D014991:Xylazine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D000700:Analgesics; D007093:Imidazoles; D014991:Xylazine; D009020:Morphine; C041255:detomidine; D019342:Acetic Acid