Further evidence for a bidirectional effect of naloxone on the pain threshold in tolerant and non-tolerant arthritic rats

Abstract

In arthritic rats, low doses of naloxone induced powerful analgesic effects (as gauged by the vocalization threshold elicited by pressure on the paw) which were marked for 3 and 6 micrograms/kg IV, whereas high doses (1000 and 3000 micrograms/kg IV) induced hyperalgesia. This bidirectional effect persisted in arthritic rats rendered tolerant to morphine, but whereas the analgesic effects were suppressed or reduced, the hyperalgesic effects induced by the higher doses were unchanged. These results suggest that the analgesic and hyperalgesic effects might be mediated by different systems.