Synergistic antinociceptive effects of alfentanil and propofol in the formalin test

Jia,Na; Zuo,Xiaochun; Guo,Chao; Li,Yuwen; Cui,Jia; Zhao,Chao; Cao,Shanshan; Wang,Chao; Li,Ruili; Wu,Yin; Wen,Aidong

doi:10.3892/mmr.2017.6174

Synergistic antinociceptive effects of alfentanil and propofol in the formalin test

Authors:
- Na Jia
- Xiaochun Zuo
- Chao Guo
- Yuwen Li
- Jia Cui
- Chao Zhao
- Shanshan Cao
- Chao Wang
- Ruili Li
- Yin Wu
- Aidong Wen
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Affiliations: Department of Pharmacy, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, P.R. China, Department of Pharmacy, Shaanxi Province Friendship Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710068, P.R. China, Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, P.R. China
Published online on: February 7, 2017 https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2017.6174
Pages: 1893-1899

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Abstract

The present study was conducted to determine the combined analgesic effect of alfentanil and propofol in the formalin test. Diluted formalin was injected into the dorsal surface of the right hind paw in rats. Nociceptive behavior was determined by counting the number of flinches of the injected paw for 1 h after injection; a reduction in formalin‑induced flinching was interpreted as an antinociceptive effect. Isobolographic analysis was used to determine the type of antinociceptive interaction (additivity, antagonism or synergism). Extracellular signal‑regulated kinase (ERK) and c‑fos protein levels were also detected by western blot analysis to determine the potential mechanisms of the synergistic effect. Alfentanil, propofol or an alfentanil‑propofol combination had an antinociceptive effect in the formalin test. The median effective dose (ED50), value of the individual drug was also obtained. The derived theoretical ED50 for the antinociceptive effect (4.36 mg/kg) was different from the observed experimental ED50 value (2.51 mg/kg). The interaction between alfentanil and propofol that produced the antinociceptive effect was synergistic according to isobolographic analysis. Furthermore, the combination of alfentanil and propofol treatments may produce synergistically antinociceptive effects by inhibiting the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and decreasing the expression of c‑fos in the spinal cord. These results demonstrated that combined treatment, with alfentanil and propofol, produced synergistic antinociceptive effects in the formalin test and may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of acute pain.

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