title: Environmental and intraperitoneal ethanol influences morphine antinociceptive effect in mice.
abstract: The ability of acute environmental or intraperitoneal (i.p.) ethanol to influence morphine antinociceptive effect was studied in mice. In order to induce tolerance to morphine analgesia, mice received daily injections of 10 mg/Kg morphine over a period of 10 days. Mice were divided into three groups: i.p. ethanol (E), environmental ethanol (E*), and control saline (M). During the induction of tolerance these groups were treated identically except on days 1 and 11. On these days, 10 minutes prior to morphine injection, mice received either i.p. ethanol (1g/Kg), environmental ethanol (a bottle of 10% ethanol placed next to the animals cage during the experiments), or an equivalent volume of saline. Analgesia was assessed using a standard hot plate protocol and dose-response cumulative curves for morphine analgesia were obtained on days 1 and 11. On day 1, both the i.p. and environmental administration of ethanol showed similar morphine-potentiation effects [Mean Effective Dose: ED50 (M1)=4.5 mg/kg; ED50 (E1)=2.4 mg/kg; ED50 (E*1)=2.1 mg/kg]. On day 11, control group mice showed a reduction of morphine analgesia at test [ED50 (M11)=14.1 mg/kg]. Mice receiving i.p. and environmental ethanol again showed a leftward shift in dose-response cumulative curves for morphine antinociception with respect to controls [ED50 (E11)=9.1 mg/kg; ED50 (E*11)=4.7 mg/kg]. I.p. ethanol administration at non-antinociceptive doses enhances the morphine antinociception effect similarly in tolerant and non-tolerant (naive) mice. The presence of environmental ethanol can also induce a similar pattern of increase in morphine antinociception effect.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacology and Therapeutic, Miguel Hernández University, Campus de San Juan, Ctra. Alicante-Valencia, Km.87. Apdo.18. 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Laura Climent
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Peris
authors.forename: Ana M Peiró
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Peiró
authors.forename: Pedro Zapater
authors.initials: PZ
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: José Francisco Horga
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: de la Parte
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004777:Environment; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000431:Ethanol; D009020:Morphine