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Evaluation of the analgesic effects of epidurally administered morphine, alfentanil, butorphanol, tramadol, and U50488H in horses.
Abstract: To evaluate and compare effects of epidurally administered morphine, alfentanil, butorphanol, tramadol, and U50488H on avoidance threshold to noxious electrical stimulation over the dermatomes of the perineal, sacral, lumbar, and thoracic regions in horses. Methods: 5 healthy adult horses. Methods: Using a Latin square complete repeated-measures design, horses were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 6 treatments (morphine, alfentanil, butorphanol, tramadol, U50488H, or sterile water) at intervals of at least 7 days. Agents were injected epidurally at the first intercoccygeal epidural space, and electrical stimulation was applied at repeated intervals for 24 hours to the dermatomes of the perineal, sacral, lumbar, and thoracic regions. Avoidance threshold to electrical stimulation was recorded. Results: Administration of butorphanol, U50488H, and sterile water did not induce change in avoidance threshold. Alfentanil increased avoidance threshold during the first 4 hours, but not significantly. Tramadol and morphine significantly increased threshold and analgesic effects. Complete analgesia (avoidance threshold, >40 V) in the perineal and sacral areas was achieved 30 minutes after tramadol injection, compared with 6 hours after morphine injection. Duration of complete analgesia was 4 hours and 5 hours after tramadol and morphine injections, respectively. Conclusions: Epidural administration of tramadol and morphine induces long-lasting analgesia in healthy adult horses. Epidural administration of opioids may provide long-lasting analgesia in horses without excitation of the CNS.
Publication Date: 2000-12-29 PubMed ID: 11131602DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.2000.61.1579Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article investigates the analgesic effects of various drugs, specifically morphine, alfentanil, butorphanol, tramadol, and U50488H, administered through the epidural route in horses. The results indicated that among all these, tramadol and morphine were found to be significantly effective in providing long-lasting pain relief.
Research Methodology
- Healthy adult horses, each used as a test subject, were selected for this study.
- A Latin-square complete repeated-measures design was used for experiment setup. This design randomly assigned horses to receive one of the six treatments: morphine, alfentanil, butorphanol, tramadol, U50488H, or sterile water, with a period of at least seven days between treatments.
- These drugs were administered epidurally, that is, injected into the first intercoccygeal epidural space of the horses.
- To measure the analgesic effect, noxious electrical stimulation was applied to the horses’ dermatomes in the perineal, sacral, lumbar, and thoracic regions at repeated intervals for 24 hours.
Findings and Results
- The research found that administration of butorphanol, U50488H, and sterile water did not lead to any significant change in the threshold of avoidance to electrical stimulation, indicating the lack of analgesic effect.
- Alfentanil, on the other hand, did increase the avoidance threshold, meaning it provided some level of pain relief, but this was not substantial and lasted only for the initial 4 hours.
- Only the administration of tramadol and morphine were found to significantly increase the avoidance threshold, thus exhibiting substantial analgesic effects. These two drugs also induced complete analgesia in the perineal and sacral areas.
- Complete analgesia was achieved 30 minutes after the injection of tramadol and 6 hours after the injection of morphine. The duration of complete analgesia was slightly longer for morphine (5 hours) as compared to tramadol (4 hours).
Conclusions
- The study concludes that of all the drugs studied, only epidural administration of tramadol and morphine induces long-lasting analgesia in healthy adult horses. This suggests their potential for use in treating horse patients with pain.
- The research suggests that the epidural administration of these two opioids may provide long-term pain relief in horses without causing excitation of the Central Nervous System.
Cite This Article
APA
Natalini CC, Robinson EP.
(2000).
Evaluation of the analgesic effects of epidurally administered morphine, alfentanil, butorphanol, tramadol, and U50488H in horses.
Am J Vet Res, 61(12), 1579-1586.
https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.2000.61.1579 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul 55108, USA.
MeSH Terms
- 3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide, (trans)-Isomer / pharmacology
- Alfentanil / administration & dosage
- Alfentanil / pharmacology
- Analgesia, Epidural / veterinary
- Animals
- Avoidance Learning / drug effects
- Butorphanol / administration & dosage
- Butorphanol / pharmacology
- Electric Stimulation
- Horses
- Morphine / administration & dosage
- Morphine / pharmacology
- Pain / physiopathology
- Pain Threshold / drug effects
- Tramadol / administration & dosage
- Tramadol / pharmacology
Citations
This article has been cited 14 times.- Nahas AE, Almubarak AI, Hagag U. Epidural lidocaine, butorphanol, and butorphanol - lidocaine combination in dromedary camels. BMC Vet Res 2023 Feb 16;19(1):51.
- Marzok M, Almubarak AI, Babiker H, Kandeel M, El-Hawari SF, El-Khodery S. Comparative evaluation of sedative and anti-nociceptive effects of epidural romifidine, romifidine-lidocaine, and lidocaine in donkeys (Equus asinus). Front Vet Sci 2022;9:966715.
- 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.
- Salem M, Rizk A, Mosbah E, Zaghloul A, Karrouf G, Abass M. Antinociceptive effect of lidocaine, tramadol, and their combination for lumbosacral epidural analgesia in rabbits undergoing experimental knee surgery. BMC Vet Res 2022 Jun 29;18(1):252.
- Watkins AR, Hopster K, Levine D, Hurcombe SD. Cervical Epidural Spinal Analgesia for Acute Management of Severe Unilateral Forelimb Lameness: Case Report. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:749713.
- Mousa YJ, Al-Zubaidy MHI. Anesthetic efficacy of ketamine, ketamine-tramadol and ketamine-ketorolac in chicks. Iran J Vet Res 2019 Winter;20(1):33-38.
- Doodnaught GM, Constant C, Desrochers A, Pang DSJ. Accidental knotting and subsequent removal of a catheter from the epidural space in an adult cow: a case report. Clin Case Rep 2017 Dec;5(12):2080-2084.
- Atiba A, Ghazy A, Gomaa N, Kamal T, Shukry M. Evaluation of Analgesic Effect of Caudal Epidural Tramadol, Tramadol-Lidocaine, and Lidocaine in Water Buffalo Calves (Bubalus bubalis). Vet Med Int 2015;2015:575101.
- Park CH. Comparison of morphine and tramadol in transforaminal epidural injections for lumbar radicular pain. Korean J Pain 2013 Jul;26(3):265-9.
- Buhari S, Hashim K, Yong Meng G, Mustapha NM, Gan SH. Subcutaneous administration of tramadol after elective surgery is as effective as intravenous administration in relieving acute pain and inflammation in dogs. ScientificWorldJournal 2012;2012:564939.
- Seo JP, Son WG, Gang S, Lee I. Sedative and analgesic effects of intravenous xylazine and tramadol on horses. J Vet Sci 2011 Sep;12(3):281-6.
- Freitas GC, Carregaro AB, Gehrcke MI, De La Côrte FD, Lara VM, Pozzobon R, Brass KE. Epidural analgesia with morphine or buprenorphine in ponies with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced carpal synovitis. Can J Vet Res 2011 Apr;75(2):141-6.
- DeRossi R, Sampaio BF, Varela JV, Junqueira AL. Perineal analgesia and hemodynamic effects of the epidural administration of meperidine or hyperbaric bupivacaine in conscious horses. Can Vet J 2004 Jan;45(1):42-7.
- Haralambus R, Juri M, Mokry A, Jenner F. The impact of opioid administration on the incidence of postanaesthetic colic in horses. Front Pain Res (Lausanne) 2024;5:1347548.
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