Tiagabine antinociception in rodents depends on GABA(B) receptor activation: parallel antinociception testing and medial thalamus GABA microdialysis.
The effects of a new antiepileptic drug, tiagabine, (R)-N-[4,4-di-(3-methylthien-2-yl)but-3-enyl] nipecotic acid hydrochloride, were studied in mice and rats in antinociceptive tests, using three kinds of noxious stimuli: mechanical (paw pressure), chemical (abdominal constriction) and thermal (hot plate). In vivo microdialysis was performed in parallel in awake, freely moving rats in order to evaluate possible alterations in extracellular gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in a pain-modulating region, the medial thalamus. Systemic administration of tiagabine, 30 mg kg(-1) i.p., increased nearly twofold the extracellular GABA levels in rats and increased significantly the rat paw pressure nociceptive threshold in a time-correlated manner. Dose-related significant tiagabine-induced antinociception was also observed at the doses of 1 and 3 mg kg(-1) i.p. in the mouse hot plate and abdominal constriction tests. The tiagabine antinociception was completely antagonised by pretreatment with the selective GABA(B) receptor antagonist, CGP 35348, (3-aminopropyl-diethoxy-methyl-phosphinic acid) (2.5 microg/mouse or 25 microg/rat i.c.v.), but not by naloxone (1 mg kg(-1) s.c.), both administered 15 min before tiagabine. Thus, it is suggested that tiagabine causes antinociception due to raised endogenous GABA levels which in turn activate GABA(B) receptors.
Ipponi
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Department of Preclinical and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Florence, Italy.
Lamberti
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Medica
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Bartolini
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Malmberg-Aiello
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D000005:Abdomen / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D001418:Baclofen / Q000494:pharmacology; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004924:Escape Reaction / Q000187:drug effects; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000378:metabolism; D018755:GABA Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D017551:Microdialysis; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D014179:Neurotransmitter Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009557:Nipecotic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000187:drug effects*; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D010146:Pain / Q000517:prevention & control; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000187:drug effects; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D018080:Receptors, GABA-B / Q000378:metabolism*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D000078308:Tiagabine; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology
D018755:GABA Agonists; D018756:GABA Antagonists; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D014179:Neurotransmitter Uptake Inhibitors; D009557:Nipecotic Acids; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D018080:Receptors, GABA-B; D009270:Naloxone; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; C066430:CGP 35348; D001418:Baclofen; D000078308:Tiagabine