title: Analgesic efficacy of an oral transmucosal spray formulation of meloxicam alone or in combination with tramadol in cats with naturally occurring osteoarthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the analgesic efficacy of meloxicam oral transmucosal spray (OTMS) alone and with tramadol in cats with osteoarthritis (OA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, blinded study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen geriatric cats weighing 4.5 ± 1.0 kg.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy cats with OA were randomly administered a placebo (every 12 hours orally) and meloxicam OTMS (approximately 0.05 mg kg-1every 24 hours) (group M, n = 7), or tramadol (3 mg kg-1every 12 hours orally) and meloxicam OTMS (group TM, n = 8) for 25 days. Evaluations performed before treatment (D0) and at week 3 (W3) consisted of peak vertical force, motor activity and response to mechanical temporal summation of pain (RMTS). Data were analyzed with mixed models and Fisher's exact test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean ± standard deviation peak vertical force (percentage of body weight) increased significantly in both groups (p = 0.02), from 47.7 ± 6.5% to 60.5 ± 9.4% in group M, and from 51.8 ± 5.0% to 64.1 ± 6.5% in group TM, with no difference between groups. Motor activity increased in M (from 43 ± 12 to 56 ± 13; p = 0.02), but not in TM. The number of stimulations from RMTS increased in TM only. Cut-off values were reached in a larger number of cats (n = 5) in TM than M (n = 1) (p < 0.05). Gastrointestinal adverse effects were self-limiting in six cats, including five in TM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Meloxicam OTMS had similar effects on peak vertical force, motor activity and pain sensitization as previously reported for oral meloxicam in OA cats. The tramadol-meloxicam combination provided no evident benefit over meloxicam alone, except for central hypersensitivity (assessed with RMTS). Further assessment of the potential toxicity of the combination is required prior to clinical use. Gingival administration was well accepted overall.
authors.affiliation: Animal Pharmacology Research Group of Quebec (GREPAQ), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Beatriz P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.affiliation: Animal Pharmacology Research Group of Quebec (GREPAQ), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.|Osteoarthritis Research Unit, Research Center of the University of Montreal Hospital Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Mary P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Klinck
authors.affiliation: Animal Pharmacology Research Group of Quebec (GREPAQ), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.|Osteoarthritis Research Unit, Research Center of the University of Montreal Hospital Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Maxim
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moreau
authors.affiliation: Animal Pharmacology Research Group of Quebec (GREPAQ), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.|Osteoarthritis Research Unit, Research Center of the University of Montreal Hospital Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guillot
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Paulo Vm
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Steagall
authors.affiliation: US Veterinary Operations, Zoetis, Inc., Florham Park, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Edge
authors.affiliation: Osteoarthritis Research Unit, Research Center of the University of Montreal Hospital Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pelletier
authors.affiliation: Osteoarthritis Research Unit, Research Center of the University of Montreal Hospital Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Johanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martel-Pelletier
authors.affiliation: Animal Pharmacology Research Group of Quebec (GREPAQ), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gauvin
authors.affiliation: Animal Pharmacology Research Group of Quebec (GREPAQ), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Jérôme Re
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Del Castillo
authors.affiliation: Animal Pharmacology Research Group of Quebec (GREPAQ), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada. eric.troncy@umontreal.ca.|Osteoarthritis Research Unit, Research Center of the University of Montreal Hospital Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada. eric.troncy@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Troncy
mesh_terms: D058956:Administration, Mucosal; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002415:Cats; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D000077239:Meloxicam; D058993:Oral Sprays; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000662:veterinary*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013843:Thiazines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014147:Tramadol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D058993:Oral Sprays; D013843:Thiazines; D013844:Thiazoles; D014147:Tramadol; D000077239:Meloxicam
keywords: analgesia; degenerative joint disease; feline chronic pain; meloxicam; osteoarthritis; tramadol