title: Antinociceptive activity of coniine in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hemlock was used as an analgesic in certain ethnopharmacological traditions and there has been no record about the antinociceptive effect of coniine which is the major alkaloid compound of Hemlock.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study was undertaken to evaluate the possible antinociceptive activity of coniine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Antinociceptive activity of coniine was tested dose in Hotplate test (thermal pain model) and in Writhing test (chemical pain model) in different nociception models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Coniine caused a prolongation in reaction time in Hotplate test at 20mg/kg dose. In addition, it was observed that coniine decreased the number of writhes in Writhing test. Both data indicated an antinociceptive effect of coniine. A rotarod test was also conducted in order to clarify, whether this activity was related with a loss of locomotion or with an analgesic activity. None of the chemical agents at those doses used in experiments caused a loss of locomotor activity. It was also shown that antinociceptive effect of morphine was potentialized by coniine which was inhibited by nicotinic receptor blocker mecamylamine (1mg/kg).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Coniine has antinociceptive effect via the nicotinic receptors. A pharmacological assessment about the painless death of Socrates due to Hemlock (coniine) toxicity has also been presented by using this data.
authors: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara 06100, Turkey.
authors: Okan
authors: O
authors: Arihan
authors: Mustafa
authors: M
authors: Boz
authors: Alper B
authors: AB
authors: Iskit
authors: Mustafa
authors: M
authors: Ilhan
mesh_terms: D019342:Acetic Acid; D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D029982:Conium / Q000737:chemistry*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D008297:Male; D008464:Mecamylamine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051379:Mice; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010146:Pain / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D000700:Analgesics; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists; D010880:Piperidines; D010936:Plant Extracts; D008464:Mecamylamine; D009020:Morphine; C007112:coniine; D019342:Acetic Acid