Interaction of Morphine With a New α2-Adrenoceptor Agonist in Mice

Finding new chemicals or adjuvants with analgesic effects in the central nervous system is clinically relevant due to the limited number of drugs with these properties. Here, we present PT-31, which is chemically related to 3-benzyl-imidazolidine, with an analgesic profile that results from α2-adrenoceptor activation. Intraperitoneal administration of PT-31 dose-dependently produced antinociception in the hot plate test, and interacted synergistically with morphine. This effect was completely reversed by yohimbine, a non-selective antagonist of α2-adrenoceptors, and by BRL 44408, a selective α2A-adrenoceptor antagonist. The combination of morphine and PT-31 produced greater antinociceptive activity than either alone, and isobolographic analysis revealed a synergistic interaction between these compounds. Docking results confirm the high affinity of the PT-31 ligand at the α2A-adrenoceptor.

Perspective

This study introduces a new analgesic compound (PT-31) that acts via α2A-adrenoceptor activation. A significant increase in analgesia was observed when co-administered with morphine. PT-31 is an interesting new substance for pain therapy.