Dietary influences on morphine-induced analgesia in rats

Morphine-induced analgesia was examined using a tail-flick apparatus in 36 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were given ad lib access to Purina Chow alone (N = 9) or given a choice of Purina Chow and either a 0.15% saccharin solution (N = 9), a 32% sucrose solution (N = 9), or hydrogenated vegetable fat (Crisco) (N = 9). Analgesic testing was conducted immediately preceding and at 30, 60 and 90 minutes following intraperitoneal administration of morphine sulfate (0.0, 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 mg/kg). No differences in analgesic responsiveness were observed as a function of diet preceding morphine administration. However, dietary variables did alter morphine-induced analgesia. At 30 minutes following injections of the highest dose of morphine, animals fed saccharin, sucrose or Crisco had significantly longer tail-flick latencies than rats given only Purina Chow. Sixty minutes following injections, rats fed Crisco continued to display a significantly longer tail-flick latency than rats fed only Chow. These data demonstrate that palatable substances can enhance the analgesic properties of exogenous opioids.