Premium
Analgesic effects on endogenous melatonin secretion
Author(s) -
Lapwood Keith R.,
Bhagat Lakshmi,
Simpson Mark P.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of pineal research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.881
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1600-079X
pISSN - 0742-3098
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-079x.1997.tb00298.x
Subject(s) - melatonin , analgesic , ketoprofen , phenylbutazone , medicine , radioimmunoassay , buprenorphine , endogeny , endogenous opioid , pethidine , pony , endocrinology , pharmacology , anesthesia , opioid , biology , receptor , genetics
Lapwood KR, Bhagat L, Simpson MP. Analgesic effects on endogenous melatonin secretion. J. Pineal Res. 1997; 22:20–25. © Munksgaard, Copenhagen Abstract Animal welfare concerns have led to increased demands for use of postoperative analgesia in association with experimental surgery. Such treatment is appropriate provided it has no effect on experimental parameters. In order to assess any effects of analgesics on endogenous melatonin production, groups of six ewes were bled at 30 min intervals for the first 4 hr of darkness a) without analgesic treatment and b) immediately after analgesic administration. Analgesics tested were ketoprofen, phenylbutazone (both non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs) and buprenorphine (an opioid). Plasma melatonin was measured by radioimmunoassay and 4 hr secretion profiles computed for each animal. Ketoprofen and buprenorphine treatment reduced mean four hour melatonin secretion profiles by 50.6% (from 1,347.3 to 665.1 pg/ml‐hr) and 38.6% (from 287.8 to 171.3 pg/ml‐hr), respectively. Only in the case of phenylbutazone was the response not statistically significant; hence this drug has been selected as a post‐operative analgesic for future experimental studies involving measurement of melatonin levels.