Publications by authors named "Kamila Kulik"
The effectiveness of opioids in the treatment of neuropathic pain is limited. It was demonstrated that magnesium ions (Mg), physiological antagonists of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), increase opioid analgesia in chronic pain. Our study aimed to determine the molecular mechanism of this action.
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- The study focused on the effects of the PK23 hybrid peptide, which combines opioid and neurotensin properties, administered to male rats to assess its pain-relieving abilities.
- The peptide demonstrated a strong pain-relieving effect in response to heat, showing better side effects compared to morphine, such as less scratching and slower tolerance development.
- Despite some adverse reactions at higher doses, the findings suggest that hybrid compounds like PK23 could be valuable in future pain management therapies.
Opioids are increasingly used in alleviating pain, including cancer-related pain and postoperative pain. Unfortunately, the development of tolerance, the resistance of neuropathic pain on opioid analgesia or other undesirable effects may limit their utility. In order to reduce opioid doses, and thereby to avoid the risk of side effects and sudden deaths due to overdosing, attempts have been made to introduce co-analgesics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: As previously reported, magnesium sulphate administered parenterally significantly increased an opioid antinociception in different kinds of pain. Since the typical form of magnesium salts are poorly and slowly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract we examined whether their micronized form could increase opioids induced antinociception.
Methods: In behavioural studies on rats morphine, tramadol and oxycodone together with magnesium (lactate dihydrate, hydroaspartate, chloride) in micronized (particles of size D90 < 50 μm) and conventional forms were used.
The design of novel drugs for pain relief with improved analgesic properties and diminished side effect induction profile still remains a challenging pursuit. Tolerance is one of the most burdensome phenomena that may hamper ongoing opioid therapy, especially in chronic pain patients. Therefore, a promising strategy of hybridizing two pharmacophores that target distinct binding sites involved in pain modulation and transmission was established.
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