Comparison of the antinociceptive effect of morphine, methadone, buprenorphine and codeine in two substrains of Sprague-Dawley rats.

Sprague-Dawley rats from two different vendors, Möllegård, Denmark and B&K Universal, Sweden, have been tested for the antinociceptive effect of morphine, methadone, buprenorphine and codeine on the hot plate. Morphine and methadone had significantly weaker effect in Möllegård rats compare to B&K rats. In contrast, the effect of buprenorphine was stronger in Möllegård rats than in B&K rats and the effect of codeine was similar in the two substrains.

Comparison of response characteristics of cutaneous mechanoreceptors in normal and neuropathic Sprague-Dawley and spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The activity of single myelinated afferents was recorded from dorsal roots L4-5 in normal Spontaneously Hypertensive rats (SHR) and animals that developed mechanical hypersensitivity following ischemic injury to the sciatic nerve. Control and neuropathic SHRs had significantly higher paw withdrawal threshold to mechanical stimulation than control and neuropathic Sprague-Dawleys (SD). In the SHR rats the mechanical response properties of afferents conducting through the injury site were similar to normals and many of the afferents not conducting through the injury site had spontaneous activity.

Differential antinociception by morphine and methadone in two sub-strains of Sprague-Dawley rats and its potentiation by dextromethorphan.

The antinociceptive effect of morphine and methadone was tested in two substrains of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, from B&K Universal, Sweden (BK) and Mollegård, Denmark (DK). In both sub-strains of SD rats subcutaneous morphine or methadone produced dose-dependent antinociception on the hot plate test. However, the effect of the opioids was less in DK-SD than BK-SD rats, particularly for morphine as it failed to produce maximal antinociception even at high doses.

Reduced tolerance to the anti-hyperalgesic effect of methadone in comparison to morphine in a rat model of mononeuropathy.

The development of tolerance to chronically administered methadone and morphine was examined in a rat model of neuropathic pain after ischemic nerve injury. In drug naive neuropathic rats systemically administered morphine or methadone similarly and dose-dependently alleviated mechanical allodynia. Tolerance to the anti-hyperalgesic effect of equally effective doses of morphine (10mg/kg) or methadone (5mg/kg) developed upon administration twice daily.

Response characteristics of cutaneous mechanoreceptors in neuropathic rats.

The activity of single myelinated afferents was recorded from dorsal roots L4-5 in normal Sprague-Dawley rats and animals that developed mechanical hypersensitivity following ischemic injury to the sciatic nerve. The mechanical response properties and conduction velocity of afferents conducting through the injury site (about 50% of units) were similar to controls. However, the majority of afferents not conducting through the injury site exhibited ongoing activity.