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Assessment of Morphine-induced Hyperalgesia and Analgesic Tolerance in Mice Using Thermal and Mechanical Nociceptive Modalities
Published on: July 29, 2014
Pain, analgesia and genetics.
Arjun Muralidharan1, Maree T Smith
1The University of Queensland, Centre for Integrated Preclinical Drug Development and School of Pharmacy, Steele Building, St Lucia Campus, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
The Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology
|October 13, 2011
Summary
Genetic factors significantly influence pain perception and analgesic response, but human studies on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) show conflicting results. Epigenetic mechanisms may explain these variations in pain management.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacogenomics
- Pain Medicine
- Genetics
Background:
- Patient responses to pain and analgesics vary significantly due to genetic and environmental factors.
- Animal studies demonstrate a strong genetic basis for nociception and analgesic efficacy.
- Over 300 candidate pain genes have been identified, contributing to heritable differences in pain sensitivity and drug response.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the genetic and environmental factors influencing interindividual variability in pain perception and analgesic response.
- To explore the role of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in explaining differential drug efficacy and toxicity.
- To discuss potential explanations for conflicting data in human genetic association studies.
Main Methods:
- Review of genetic association studies investigating single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in pain-related genes.
- Analysis of animal models demonstrating genetic contributions to nociception and antinociception.
- Exploration of epigenetic mechanisms as potential mediators of gene-environment interactions in pain.
Main Results:
- Over 300 candidate pain genes identified, with over 20 SNPs linked to pain sensitivity and analgesic response variability in humans.
- Many human genetic association studies yield conflicting results regarding the impact of specific SNPs.
- Animal research consistently shows a strong genetic influence on pain pathways and drug responses.
Conclusions:
- Despite identifying numerous SNPs affecting pain and analgesic response, human genetic studies present conflicting data.
- Deficiencies in human genetic study design may contribute to inconsistent findings.
- Epigenetic mechanisms facilitating gene-environment communication are emerging as a key factor in explaining variability in pain management.
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