Differential effects of opiate agonists-antagonists on morphine-induced hyperexcitability and analgesia in mice

The effects of two opiate agonists-antagonists, butorphanol (4.0 and 8.0 mg/kg) and buprenorphine (0.1 and 1.0 mg/kg), were assessed on locomotor activity and analgesia in DBA/2 and C57BL/6 mice. Different behavioral effects were evident in these strains, which might be characterized by different reactions to the effects of opiates and by differences in endorphin distributions and opiate receptor populations. In particular, buprenorphine acted as an agonist-antagonist to morphine in both strains while a dissociation of butorphanol effects was evident, depending on the strain considered. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.