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Enhancement of the Antiemetic Action of Metoclopramide Against Cisplatin‐Induced Emesis by Transdermal Electrical Nerve Stimulation
Author(s) -
Saller Reinhard,
Hellenbrecht Dieter,
Bühring Malte,
Hess Helmut
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
the journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.92
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1552-4604
pISSN - 0091-2700
DOI - 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1986.tb02918.x
Subject(s) - metoclopramide , antiemetic , anesthesia , (+) naloxone , medicine , transdermal , stimulation , neuromodulation , transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation , pharmacology , opioid , nausea , vomiting , receptor , alternative medicine , pathology
In a double‐blind sequential trial, the influence of transdermal electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) was studied in patients who were treated with total infusions of metoclopramide 3.5 mg/kg to counter the emetic action of cisplatin 60–90 mg/m 2 . Transdermal electrical nerve stimulation further reduced the emetic episodes in ten of 11 treatment pairs (2α = .10). This effect was blocked by naloxone. More surprisingly, TENS reduced the incidence of extrapyramidal effects of metoclopramide (i.e., akathisia and dystonia). These effects may be explained by the involvement of central nervous and peripheral TENS‐induced production of opioid neuromodulators. An alternate hypothesis is the stimulation of serotonergic mechanisms via neuromodulation by opioid peptides, or by involvement of both systems.