Antinociceptive activity of a neurosteroid tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone (5alpha-pregnan-3alpha-21-diol-20-one) and its possible mechanism(s) of action.

Abstract

The present study investigates the effects of a neurosteroid tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone (5alpha-pregnan-3alpha-21-diol-20-one) in two experimental models of pain sensitivity in mice. Tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone (2.5, 5 mg/kg, i.p.) dose dependently decreased the licking response in formalin test and increased the tail flick latency (TFL) in tail flick test. Bicuculline (2 mg/kg, i.p.), a GABA(A) receptor antagonist blocked the antinociceptive effect of tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone in TFL test but failed to modulate licking response in formalin test. Naloxone (1 mg/kg, i.p.), an opioid antagonist effectively attenuated the analgesic effect of tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone in both the models. Tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone pretreatment potentiated the antinociceptive response of morphine, an opioid compound and nimodipine, a calcium channel blocker in formalin as well as TFL test. Thus, tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone exerts an analgesic effect, which may be mediated by modulating GABA-ergic and/or opioid-ergic mechanisms and voltage-gated calcium channels.

• Authors: P K Mediratta, M Gambhir, K K Sharma, M Ray
• Journal: Indian journal of experimental biology (Indian J Exp Biol) Vol. 39 Issue 12 Pg. 1299-301 (Dec 2001) ISSN: 0019-5189 [Print] India
• PMID: 12018528 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Analgesics
• GABA-A Receptor Antagonists
• Desoxycorticosterone
• tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone

Topics

• Analgesics (pharmacology)
• Animals
• Desoxycorticosterone (analogs & derivatives, pharmacology)
• GABA-A Receptor Antagonists
• Male
• Mice