The peripheral antinociceptive effect of morphine in a rat model of facial pain

The present study compared the peripheral and systemic antinociceptive effect of morphine on formalin-induced facial pain behavior in the rat. Formalin (5%, 50 mu l) was injected subcutaneously into the vibrissal pad of adult rats (250-300 g). Morphine sulfate at doses of 100-1000 mu g was subcutaneously injected locally (same area) or systemically (in the neck), 30 min before, or simultaneously with, formalin. The typical biphasic face grooming response, consisting of an early phasic phase (0-6 min) and a delayed tonic phase (12-42 min), displayed by control animals, was suppressed by both local and systemic administration of morphine; this effect was dose dependent. However, the suppression of the early phase with local morphine administration 30 min before formalin could be significantly greater (49-52%) than with systemic administration, depending on the dose used. Administration of local morphine simultaneously with formalin produced up to 34% reduction in the early and an additional 32% reduction of the late phases of Face grooming, compared to systemic injections. Local injection of naloxone (10 mu g) almost completely reversed the antinociceptive effect of 1000 mu g of morphine (early phase 85 +/- 7%, late phase 100 +/- 26% reduction), whereas the same dose of naloxone applied systemically (i.p.) produced only partial reversal (early phase 29 +/- 16%, late phase 36 +/- 1% reduction). This study further indicates that locally administered morphine can exert an analgesic effect superior to systemic administration in the case of inflammatory and non-inflammatory pain through a peripheral site of action. These results support the clinical use of peripheral opioid administration in the treatment of human painful conditions.