• Christopher R McCurdy, Kenneth J Sufka, Grant H Smith, Jason E Warnick, and Marcelo J Nieto.
• Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA. cmccurdy@olemiss.edu
• Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. 2006 Jan 1; 83 (1): 109-13.

AbstractSalvinorin A, is a structurally unique, non-nitrogenous, kappa opioid receptor (KOP) agonist. Given the role of KOPs in analgesic processes, we set out to determine whether salvinorin A has antinociceptive activity in thermal and chemo-nociceptive assays. The tail-flick assay was employed to investigate 1) salvinorin A's (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 mg/kg) dose-response and time-course (10, 20, and 30 min) effects in a thermal nociceptive assay, and 2) the ability for the KOP antagonist norBNI (10.0 mg/kg) to prevent salvinorin A antinociception. The hotplate assay was utilized as a second thermal nociceptive measure to test salvinorin A's dose-response effects. The acetic acid abdominal constriction assay was used to study salvinorin A's dose-response and time-course (over 30 min) effects in a chemo-nociceptive assay. Together, these studies revealed that salvinorin A produces a dose-dependent antinociception that peaked at 10 min post-injection but rapidly returned to baseline. Additionally, pretreatment with the KOP antagonist norbinaltorphimine (norBNI) reversed salvinorin A-induced antinociception. These findings demonstrate that salvinorin A produces a KOP mediated antinociceptive effect with a short duration of action.

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