Palma J, Cowan A, Geller EB, Adler MW, Benamar K. Differential antinociceptive effects of buprenorphine and methadone in the presence of HIV-gp120.
Drug Alcohol Depend 2011;
118:497-9. [PMID:
21600706 PMCID:
PMC3925649 DOI:
10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2011.04.010]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2011] [Revised: 04/12/2011] [Accepted: 04/13/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
We showed recently that elevated brain levels of the chemokine stromal cell-derived growth factor-1α (SDF-1α/CXCL12, a ligand for the human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] co-receptor CXCR4) diminish the antinociceptive effect of morphine, but failed to influence buprenorphine-induced antinociception.
AIMS
Because the HIV-1 coat protein, glycoprotein 120 (gp120) T-tropic strain, binds to the same receptor as SDF-1α/CXCL12, the present experiments were designed to investigate the consequence of administering gp120 to rat brain on buprenorphine-induced antinociception in the 54°C hot plate test. For comparative purposes, the effect of gp120 on an equi-antinociceptive dose of methadone was also examined.
METHODS
A sterilized stainless-steel C313G guide cannula was implanted into the periaqueductal grey (PAG), a brain region critical for the processing of pain signals, and a primary site of action of many analgesics. Rats were pretreated with gp120, administered into the PAG.
RESULTS
The subsequent antinociception associated with methadone was diminished whereas buprenorphine-induced antinociception was unaffected. Buprenorphine thus appears to be a more effective analgesic than methadone in the presence of gp120 in the brain, a condition that is associated with HIV-related pain and infection.
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