Analgesic and anti-hyperalgesic effects of epidural morphine in an equine LPS-induced acute synovitis model.
Abstract: Epidural morphine is widely used in veterinary medicine, but there is no information about the anti-hyperalgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in acute inflammatory joint disease in horses. The analgesic, anti-hyperalgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of epidural morphine (100mg/animal or 0.17 ± 0.02 mg/kg) were therefore investigated in horses with acute synovitis. In a cross-over study, synovitis was induced in the talocrural joint by intra-articular lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The effect of epidural morphine was evaluated using physiological, kinematic and behavioural variables. Ranges of motion (ROM) of the metatarsophalangeal and talocrural joints were measured, clinical lameness scores and mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) were assessed and synovial fluid inflammatory markers were measured. The injection of LPS induced transient synovitis, resulting in clinical lameness, decreased ranges of motion in the talocrural and metatarsophalangeal joints, decreased limb loading at rest and increased composite pain scores. Epidural morphine resulted in a significant improvement in clinical lameness, increased ROM and improved loading of the LPS-injected limb at rest, with no effects on synovial fluid inflammatory markers. Morphine prevented a decrease in MNT and, hence, inhibited the development of hyperalgesia close to the dorsal aspect of inflamed talocrural joints. This study showed that epidural morphine provides analgesic and anti-hyperalgesic effects in horses with acute synovitis, without exerting peripheral anti-inflammatory effects.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2012-02-17 PubMed ID: 22342215DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2012.01.015Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Randomized Controlled Trial
Summary
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The research article explores the pain-relieving and hyperalgesia-inhibiting effects of using epidural morphine on horses suffering from acute synovitis, which is an inflammation of a joint caused by an attack on the synovial membrane.
Research Context
- The study is significant because, despite the wide usage of epidural morphine in veterinary medicine, there has been no prior exploration on its anti-inflammatory and anti-hyperalgesic effects on horses suffering from joint disease, specifically acute synovitis.
Research Methodology and Evaluation
- A cross-over study was conducted where synovitis was induced in horses in the talocrural joint, a joint in the hind limb, using intra-articular lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
- The effects of epidural morphine were evaluated by looking at a range of variables spanning from physiological, kinematic, to behavioural.
- Among other parameters, the study evaluated ranges of motion (ROM) of the metatarsophalangeal and talocrural joints, clinical lameness scores (degree of difficulty the horse faces while moving), mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs, pain thresholds), and synovial fluid inflammatory markers.
Findings and Conclusions
- The injection of LPS was found to cause a transient synovitis, mathematically translating into clinical lameness, decreased ranges of motion in the talocrural and metatarsophalangeal joints, less limb loading when at rest, and increased composite pain scores.
- Administration of epidural morphine led to a significant improvement in clinical lameness, an increased range of motion, and better loading on the inflamed limb at rest.
- Edurial morphine however did not have effects on synovial fluid inflammatory markers, indicating it did not have peripheral anti-inflammatory effects.
- Morphine was found to prevent a decrease in MNTs and inhibited the development of hyperalgesia near the dorsal aspect of inflamed talocrural joints. Hyperalgesia refers to heightened pain sensitivity.
- Therefore, the study concluded that epidural morphine provides analgesic, pain-blocking, and anti-hyperalgesic, excessive pain preventing, effects in horses with acute synovitis, without showing any peripheral anti-inflammatory effects.
Cite This Article
APA
van Loon JP, Menke ES, L'ami JJ, Jonckheer-Sheehy VS, Back W, René van Weeren P.
(2012).
Analgesic and anti-hyperalgesic effects of epidural morphine in an equine LPS-induced acute synovitis model.
Vet J, 193(2), 464-470.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2012.01.015 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 114, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands. j.p.a.m.vanloon@uu.nl
MeSH Terms
- Analgesia, Epidural / veterinary
- Analgesics, Opioid / therapeutic use
- Animals
- Behavior, Animal
- Cross-Over Studies
- Female
- Horse Diseases / chemically induced
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horses
- Hyperalgesia / chemically induced
- Hyperalgesia / drug therapy
- Hyperalgesia / veterinary
- Inflammation / drug therapy
- Inflammation / veterinary
- Injections, Intra-Articular / veterinary
- Lipopolysaccharides / administration & dosage
- Lipopolysaccharides / immunology
- Locomotion
- Morphine / therapeutic use
- Pain / drug therapy
- Pain / veterinary
- Single-Blind Method
- Synovial Fluid / chemistry
- Synovial Fluid / cytology
- Synovitis / chemically induced
- Synovitis / drug therapy
- Synovitis / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 7 times.- Douglas H, Midon M, Shroff K, Floriano D, Driessen B, Hopster K. Caudal epidural catheterization for pain management in 48 hospitalized horses: A descriptive study of demographics, complications, and outcomes.. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:995299.
- Ask K, Andersen PH, Tamminen LM, Rhodin M, Hernlund E. Performance of four equine pain scales and their association to movement asymmetry in horses with induced orthopedic pain.. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:938022.
- Bittar IP, Neves CA, Araújo CT, Oliveira YVR, Silva SL, Borges NC, Franco LG. Dose-Finding in the Development of an LPS-Induced Model of Synovitis in Sheep.. Comp Med 2021 Apr 1;71(2):141-147.
- Haussler KK. Pressure Algometry for the Detection of Mechanical Nociceptive Thresholds in Horses.. Animals (Basel) 2020 Nov 24;10(12).
- Skiöldebrand E, Ley C, Björklund U, Lindahl A, Hansson E. Serotonin-evoked cytosolic Ca(2+) release and opioid receptor expression are upregulated in articular cartilage chondrocytes from osteoarthritic joints in horses.. Vet Anim Sci 2019 Dec;8:100078.
- Gigliuto C, De Gregori M, Malafoglia V, Raffaeli W, Compagnone C, Visai L, Petrini P, Avanzini MA, Muscoli C, Viganò J, Calabrese F, Dominioni T, Allegri M, Cobianchi L. Pain assessment in animal models: do we need further studies?. J Pain Res 2014;7:227-36.
- Raundal PM, Andersen PH, Toft N, Forkman B, Munksgaard L, Herskin MS. Handheld mechanical nociceptive threshold testing in dairy cows - intra-individual variation, inter-observer agreement and variation over time.. Vet Anaesth Analg 2014 Nov;41(6):660-9.
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