Loss of amitriptyline analgesia in alpha 2A-adrenoceptor deficient mice.

Article Details

Citation

Copy to clipboard

Ozdogan UK, Lahdesmaki J, Mansikka H, Scheinin M

Loss of amitriptyline analgesia in alpha 2A-adrenoceptor deficient mice.

Eur J Pharmacol. 2004 Feb 6;485(1-3):193-6.

PubMed ID

14757140 [ View in PubMed

]

Abstract

Tricyclic antidepressants have analgesic and sedative effects in addition to their antidepressive properties. We tested the acute analgesic and locomotor inhibitory effects of the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline and the alpha(2)-adrenoceptor agonist clonidine in wild-type control and in alpha(2A)-adrenoceptor knockout mice in hot-plate and tail-flick tests. Amitriptyline-induced analgesia was lost in alpha(2A)-adrenoceptor knockout mice. The locomotor inhibitory effect of amitriptyline was reduced, but not fully abolished in alpha(2A)-adrenoceptor knockout mice. Similar results were obtained with clonidine. We conclude that alpha(2A)-adrenoceptors appear to have a significant role in amitriptyline-induced acute analgesia in mice, and that alpha(2A)-adrenoceptors also participate in the sedative effects of amitriptyline.

DrugBank Data that Cites this Article

Drug Targets

Drug	Target	Kind	Organism	Pharmacological Action	Actions
Amitriptyline	Alpha-2A adrenergic receptor	Protein	Humans	No	Antagonist Agonist	Details
Clonidine	Alpha-2A adrenergic receptor	Protein	Humans	Yes	Agonist	Details