Morphine-6-glucuronide: potency and safety compared with morphine.
BACKGROUND
In contemporary medicine, morphine remains the drug of choice in the treatment of severe postoperative pain. Nevertheless, morphine has several side effects, which can seriously compromise its analgesic effectiveness and the patient safety/compliance. The search for opioid analgesics with a better side-effect profile than morphine has led to a morphine metabolites, morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G).


OBJECTIVE
The objectives of the current paper are to give an overview of the analgesic properties of M6G, assess the dose range at which it produces equianalgesia to morphine and explore its side-effect profile.


METHODS
A review of published clinical studies (Phase II - III) on M6G in the treatment of experimental and clinical pain is given.


CONCLUSIONS
M6G > 0.2 mg/kg is an effective analgesic with a slower onset but longer duration of action (> 12 h) compared with morphine. Side effects, most importantly postoperative nausea and vomiting, occur less frequent after M6G treatment. M6G is an attractive alternative to morphine in the treatment of severe postoperative pain.
van Dorp
Eveline L A
EL
Leiden University Medical Centre, Department of Anesthesiology, P5-Q, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.
Morariu
Aurora
A
Dahan
Albert
A
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017322:Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D006801:Humans; D009020:Morphine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009022:Morphine Derivatives / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D010349:Patient Compliance; D020250:Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009022:Morphine Derivatives; C035349:morphine-6-glucuronide; D009020:Morphine