Melatonin enhances the anticonvulsant and proconvulsant effects of morphine in mice: role for nitric oxide signaling pathway

Epilepsy Res. 2007 Jul;75(2-3):138-44. doi: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2007.05.002. Epub 2007 Jun 28.

Abstract

Melatonin has different interactions with opioids including enhancing their analgesic effect and reversal of opioid tolerance and dependence. Opioids are known to exert dose-dependent anti- and proconvulsant effects in different experimental seizure paradigms. This study investigated the effect of melatonin on biphasic modulation of seizure susceptibility by morphine, in mouse model of pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced clonic seizures. We further investigated the involvement of the nitric oxidergic pathway in this interaction, using a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine-methyl-ester (L-NAME). Melatonin exerted anticonvulsant effect with doses as high as 40-80 mg/kg, but with a dose far bellow that amount (10 mg/kg), it potentiated both the anticonvulsant and proconvulsant effects of morphine on the PTZ-induced clonic seizures. Possible pharmacokinetic interaction of melatonin and morphine cannot be ruled out in the enhancement of two opposing effects of morphine on seizure threshold. L-NAME (1 mg/kg) reversed the anticonvulsant property of the combination of melatonin (10 mg/kg) plus morphine (0.5 mg/kg). Moreover, L-NAME (5 mg/kg) blocked the enhancing effect of melatonin (10 mg/kg) on proconvulsant activity of morphine (60 mg/kg). Our results indicate that co-administration of melatonin enhances both anti- and proconvulsant effects of morphine via a mechanism that may involve the nitric oxidergic pathway.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anticonvulsants / pharmacology*
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology*
  • Convulsants / pharmacology*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Electric Stimulation
  • Male
  • Melatonin / pharmacology*
  • Mice
  • Morphine / pharmacology*
  • NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / pharmacology
  • Nitric Oxide / physiology*
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Seizures / physiopathology
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*

Substances

  • Anticonvulsants
  • Antioxidants
  • Convulsants
  • Nitric Oxide
  • Morphine
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase
  • Melatonin
  • NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester