Potentiation of morphine analgesia by d-amphetamine

Abstract

Rats were trained to escape from aversive electrical brain stimulation delivered to the mesencephalic reticular formation (MRF). The threshold for this escape behavior was determined by a modification of the classic psychophysical method of limits. Escape thresholds were determined after the administration of morphine alone, d-amphetamine alone, and the combination of d-amphetamine and an ineffective dose of morphine. Morphine alone caused a dose-dependent raising of the escape threshold (1.0–16.0 mg/kg IP) while d-amphetamine alone (0.06–2.0 mg/kg IP) had no effect or caused a slight lowering of threshold. For each animal, a dose of morphine that produced no change in escape threshold was then selected to be administered concomitantly with various doses of d-amphetamine. The co-administration of morphine and d-amphetamine resulted in a significant, dose-dependent increase in the escape threshold, which was not seen with d-amphetamine alone and was as great or greater in magnitude than the increase seen with the highest dose of morphine tested. The results of this study clearly demonstrate that opiate analgesia is potentiated by concomitant d-amphetamine administration. The mechanisms involved in this potentiation warrant further investigation for the clinical management of pain.