Tolerance to the antinociceptive effect of Crotalus durissus terrificus snake venom in mice is mediated by pharmacodynamic mechanisms.
Crotalus durissus terrificus venom exerts central and peripheral antinociceptive effect mediated by opioid receptors. The present work investigated the tolerance to the antinociceptive effect of the venom and characterised the mechanisms involved in this phenomenon. The hot plate test, applied in mice, was used for pain threshold determination. The venom (200 microg/kg) was administered by oral route, daily, for 14 days, and the nociceptive test was applied before and on days 1, 7 and 14 of the treatment. Prolonged treatment with venom lead to the development of tolerance to the antinociceptive effect. Tolerant animals exhibited increased sodium pentobarbital-induced sleeping time, although total hepatic microsomal cytochrome P450 was not altered. The antinociceptive effect of a single dose of venom (200 microg/kg) is mediated by kappa opioid receptors. Mice long-term-treated with venom showed cross-tolerance to U-TRANS, an agonist of kappa-opioid receptor, but not to morphine or DAMGO, two mu-opioid receptor agonists. Prolonged administration of venom did not cause symptoms of abstinence syndrome. These data indicate that prolonged treatment with C. durissus terrificus venom induces tolerance to the antinociceptive effect and that pharmacodynamic mechanisms are involved in the genesis of this phenomenon.
Brigatte
P
P
Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Butantan Institute, Av. Vital Brazil, 1500, 05503-900, São Paulo, Brazil.
Hoffmann
F A
FA
Bernardi
M M
MM
Giorgi
R
R
Fernandes
I
I
Takehara
H A
HA
Barros
S B
SB
Almeida
M G
MG
Cury
Y
Y
D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D003435:Crotalid Venoms / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology
D000700:Analgesics; D003435:Crotalid Venoms; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists