Profiling the Effects of Repetitive Morphine Administration on Motor Behavior in Rats

Efficient repetitive clinical use of morphine is limited by its numerous side effects, whereas analgesic tolerance necessitates subsequent increases in morphine dose to achieve adequate levels of analgesia. While many studies focused on analgesic tolerance, the effect of morphine dosing on non-analg...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Alok K. Paul, Nuri Gueven, Nikolas Dietis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-07-01
Series:Molecules
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/14/4355
_version_ 1827687233262452736
author Alok K. Paul
Nuri Gueven
Nikolas Dietis
author_facet Alok K. Paul
Nuri Gueven
Nikolas Dietis
author_sort Alok K. Paul
collection DOAJ
description Efficient repetitive clinical use of morphine is limited by its numerous side effects, whereas analgesic tolerance necessitates subsequent increases in morphine dose to achieve adequate levels of analgesia. While many studies focused on analgesic tolerance, the effect of morphine dosing on non-analgesic effects has been overlooked. This study aimed to characterize morphine-induced behavior and the development and progression of morphine-induced behavioral tolerance. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were repetitively treated with subcutaneous morphine for 14 days in two dose groups (A: 5 mg/kg/day (b.i.d.) → 10 mg/kg/day; B: 10 mg/kg/day (b.i.d.) → 20 mg/kg/day). Motor behavior was assessed daily (distance traveled, speed, moving time, rearing, rotation) in an open-field arena, before and 30 min post-injections. Antinociception was measured using tail-flick and hot-plate assays. All measured parameters were highly suppressed in both dosing groups on the first treatment day, followed by a gradual manifestation of behavioral tolerance as the treatment progressed. Animals in the high-dose group showed increased locomotor activity after 10 days of morphine treatment. This excitatory phase converted to an inhibition of behavior when a higher morphine dose was introduced. We suggest that the excitatory locomotor effects of repetitive high-dose morphine exposure represent a signature of its behavioral and antinociceptive tolerance.
first_indexed 2024-03-10T09:30:38Z
format Article
id doaj.art-866452073c4347a2a543f3413b3c586f
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1420-3049
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-10T09:30:38Z
publishDate 2021-07-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Molecules
spelling doaj.art-866452073c4347a2a543f3413b3c586f2023-11-22T04:32:35ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492021-07-012614435510.3390/molecules26144355Profiling the Effects of Repetitive Morphine Administration on Motor Behavior in RatsAlok K. Paul0Nuri Gueven1Nikolas Dietis2School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, AustraliaSchool of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, AustraliaMedical School, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 1678, CyprusEfficient repetitive clinical use of morphine is limited by its numerous side effects, whereas analgesic tolerance necessitates subsequent increases in morphine dose to achieve adequate levels of analgesia. While many studies focused on analgesic tolerance, the effect of morphine dosing on non-analgesic effects has been overlooked. This study aimed to characterize morphine-induced behavior and the development and progression of morphine-induced behavioral tolerance. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were repetitively treated with subcutaneous morphine for 14 days in two dose groups (A: 5 mg/kg/day (b.i.d.) → 10 mg/kg/day; B: 10 mg/kg/day (b.i.d.) → 20 mg/kg/day). Motor behavior was assessed daily (distance traveled, speed, moving time, rearing, rotation) in an open-field arena, before and 30 min post-injections. Antinociception was measured using tail-flick and hot-plate assays. All measured parameters were highly suppressed in both dosing groups on the first treatment day, followed by a gradual manifestation of behavioral tolerance as the treatment progressed. Animals in the high-dose group showed increased locomotor activity after 10 days of morphine treatment. This excitatory phase converted to an inhibition of behavior when a higher morphine dose was introduced. We suggest that the excitatory locomotor effects of repetitive high-dose morphine exposure represent a signature of its behavioral and antinociceptive tolerance.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/14/4355morphine dosingbehaviorlocomotor activitytolerance
spellingShingle Alok K. Paul
Nuri Gueven
Nikolas Dietis
Profiling the Effects of Repetitive Morphine Administration on Motor Behavior in Rats
Molecules
morphine dosing
behavior
locomotor activity
tolerance
title Profiling the Effects of Repetitive Morphine Administration on Motor Behavior in Rats
title_full Profiling the Effects of Repetitive Morphine Administration on Motor Behavior in Rats
title_fullStr Profiling the Effects of Repetitive Morphine Administration on Motor Behavior in Rats
title_full_unstemmed Profiling the Effects of Repetitive Morphine Administration on Motor Behavior in Rats
title_short Profiling the Effects of Repetitive Morphine Administration on Motor Behavior in Rats
title_sort profiling the effects of repetitive morphine administration on motor behavior in rats
topic morphine dosing
behavior
locomotor activity
tolerance
url https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/14/4355
work_keys_str_mv AT alokkpaul profilingtheeffectsofrepetitivemorphineadministrationonmotorbehaviorinrats
AT nurigueven profilingtheeffectsofrepetitivemorphineadministrationonmotorbehaviorinrats
AT nikolasdietis profilingtheeffectsofrepetitivemorphineadministrationonmotorbehaviorinrats