Pain and tramadol : mechanisms of toxicity and therapeutic optimization – Experimental study in the rat

La douleur est un enjeu majeur de santé publique. Les prescriptions, et par voie de conséquence les intoxications au tramadol ont explosé récemment. Cet opioïde atypique présente des effets adverses variés, incluant dépression respiratoire, convulsions et syndrome sérotoninergique. Nos travaux chez le rat nous ont permis de montrer que la toxicité respiratoire induite par le tramadol était modérée mais aggravée en cas de co-administration de diazépam. Concernant les convulsions, celles-ci apparaissaient rapidement, étaient généralisées et accompagnées d’un état de mal épileptique. Ces convulsions n’étaient pas liées au syndrome sérotoninergique puis qu’indépendantes de la sérotonine. Nous avons suggéré à l’origine des convulsions induites par le tramadol, une modulation allostérique par cet opioïde des récepteurs GABAA entraînant probablement leur inhibition. Enfin, le syndrome sérotoninergique induit par le tramadol était caractérisé par des manifestations cliniques typiques accompagnées d’une encéphalopathie modérée à l’EEG. Nos résultats suggéraient aussi la nécessité d’une approche EEG systématique en complément des observations cliniques pour un diagnostic plus juste du syndrome sérotoninergique d’origine toxique. Pour reverser la toxicité neuro-respiratoire du tramadol, l’association diazépam/naloxone semblait être le traitement le plus efficace à proposer, abolissant les convulsions électro-cliniques, réduisant significativement les effets respiratoires délétères et faisant disparaître les signes sérotoninergiques. KGNOP1, un hybride bifonctionnel opioïde/anti-nociceptine, proposé comme alternative au tramadol pour traiter les douleurs neuropathique et par excès de nociception, présentait une efficacité et une sécurité d’emploi meilleures que le tramadol et la morphine, malgré des effets respiratoires délétères importants. En revanche, une tolérance rapide à ses effets analgésiques pourrait questionner son utilisation chez l’hommePain is a major public health issue. Tramadol prescriptions and their consequent poisonings have increased recently. This atypical opioid has various adverse effects including respiratory depression, seizures and serotonin syndrome. In our rat study, we demonstrated that tramadol-induced respiratory toxicity was moderate and worsened by diazepam co-administration. Tramadol-induced seizures were of rapid onset, generalized and accompanied by status epilepticus. Seizures were not related to serotonin syndrome since not induced by serotonin. We suggested tramadol-induced allosteric modulation of GABAA receptors resulting in its inhibition to explain tramadol-attributed seizures. Finally, tramadol-induced serotonin syndrome was responsible for well-characterized clinical symptoms accompanied by mild encephalopathy on the EEG. Interestingly, our results suggested that EEG study was required for an accurate diagnosis of serotonin syndrome in addition to the clinical observations. In order to treat tramadol-induced toxicity, diazepam/naloxone combination appears to be the best treatment to abolish tramadol-induced electro-clinic seizures, to reduce its deleterious respiratory effects, and to reverse its serotonin toxicity. KGNOP1, a bi-functional opioid/anti-nociceptin hybrid suggested as alternative compound to tramadol in the treatment of neuropathic and nociceptive pains, showed advantages with improved efficacy and safety in comparison to tramadol and morphine, despite important deleterious respiratory effects. However, the onset of rapid tolerance to its analgesic effects questioned the possible administration of this hybrid to human

Tramadol: Distinguishing the Pathophysiology of Serotonin Syndrome and Seizures

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Is naloxone the best antidote to reverse tramadol-induced neuro-respiratory toxicity in overdose? An experimental investigation in the rat

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Bifunctional peptide-based opioid agonist/nociceptin antagonist ligand for dual treatment of nociceptive and neuropathic pain

International audienceDrugs able to treat both nociceptive and neuropathic pain effectively without major side effects are lacking. We developed a bifunctional peptide-based hybrid (KGNOP1) that structurally combines a mu-opioid receptor agonist (KGOP1) with antinociceptive activity and a weak nociceptin receptor antagonist (KGNOP3) with anti-neuropathic pain activity. We investigated KGNOP1-related behavioral effects after intravenous administration in rats by assessing thermal nociception, cold hyperalgesia in a model of neuropathic pain induced by chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve, and plethysmography parameters including inspiratory time (TI) and minute ventilation (VM) in comparison to the well-known opioid analgesics, tramadol and morphine. Time-course and dose-dependent effects were investigated for all behavioral parameters to determine the effective doses 50% (ED50). Pain-related effects on cold hyperalgesia were markedly increased by KGNOP1 as compared to KGNOP3 and tramadol (ED50: 0.0004, 0.32, and 12.1 μmol/kg, respectively), whereas effects on thermal nociception were significantly higher with KGNOP1 as compared to morphine (ED50: 0.41 and 14.7 μmol/kg, respectively). KGNOP1 and KGOP1 produced a larger increase in TI and deleterious decrease in VM in comparison to morphine and tramadol (ED50(TI): 0.63, 0.52, 12.2, and 50.9 μmol/kg; ED50(VM): 0.57, 0.66, 10.6, and 50.0 μmol/kg, respectively). Interestingly, the calculated ratios of anti-neuropathic pain/antinociceptive to respiratory effects revealed that KGNOP1 was safer than tramadol (ED50 ratio: 5.44 × 10 vs 0.24) and morphine (ED50 ratio: 0.72 vs 1.39). We conclude that KGNOP1 is able to treat both experimental neuropathic and nociceptive pain, more efficiently and safely than tramadol and morphine, respectively, and thus should be a candidate for future clinical developments

Investigation of the Mechanisms of Tramadol-Induced Seizures in Overdose in the Rat

International audienceTramadol overdose is frequently associated with the onset of seizures, usually considered as serotonin syndrome manifestations. Recently, the serotoninergic mechanism of tramadol-attributed seizures has been questioned. This study’s aim was to identify the mechanisms involved in tramadol-induced seizures in overdose in rats. The investigations included (1) the effects of specific pretreatments on tramadol-induced seizure onset and brain monoamine concentrations, (2) the interaction between tramadol and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptors in vivo in the brain using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and 11C-flumazenil. Diazepam abolished tramadol-induced seizures, in contrast to naloxone, cyproheptadine and fexofenadine pretreatments. Despite seizure abolishment, diazepam significantly enhanced tramadol-induced increase in the brain serotonin (p < 0.01), histamine (p < 0.01), dopamine (p < 0.05) and norepinephrine (p < 0.05). No displacement of 11C-flumazenil brain kinetics was observed following tramadol administration in contrast to diazepam, suggesting that the observed interaction was not related to a competitive mechanism between tramadol and flumazenil at the benzodiazepine-binding site. Our findings do not support the involvement of serotoninergic, histaminergic, dopaminergic, norepinephrine or opioidergic pathways in tramadol-induced seizures in overdose, but they strongly suggest a tramadol-induced allosteric change of the benzodiazepine-binding site of GABAA receptors. Management of tramadol-poisoned patients should take into account that tramadol-induced seizures are mainly related to a GABAergic pathway

Mechanisms of tramadol-related neurotoxicity in the rat: Does diazepam/tramadol combination play a worsening role in overdose?

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Modulating the activity of human nociceptors with a SCN10A promoter-specific viral vector tool

Despite the high prevalence of chronic pain as a disease in our society, there is a lack of effective treatment options for patients living with this condition. Gene therapies using recombinant AAVs are a direct method to selectively express genes of interest in target cells with the potential of, in the case of nociceptors, reducing neuronal firing in pain conditions. We designed a recombinant AAV vector expressing cargos whose expression was driven by a portion of the SCN10A (NaV1.8) promoter, which is predominantly active in nociceptors. We validated its specificity for nociceptors in mouse and human dorsal root ganglia and showed that it can drive the expression of functional proteins. Our viral vector and promoter package drove the expression of both excitatory or inhibitory DREADDs in primary human DRG cultures and in whole cell electrophysiology experiments, increased or decreased neuronal firing, respectively. Taken together, we present a novel viral tool that drives expression of cargo specifically in human nociceptors. This will allow for future specific studies of human nociceptor properties as well as pave the way for potential future gene therapies for chronic pain

Bifunctional Peptide-Based Opioid Agonist–Nociceptin Antagonist Ligands for Dual Treatment of Acute and Neuropathic Pain

Herein, the opioid pharmacophore H-Dmt-d-Arg-Aba-β-Ala-NH₂ (<b>7</b>) was linked to peptide ligands for the nociceptin receptor. Combination of <b>7</b> and NOP ligands (e.g., H-Arg-Tyr-Tyr-Arg-Ile-Lys-NH₂) led to binding affinities in the low nanomolar domain. In vitro, the hybrids behaved as agonists at the opioid receptors and antagonists at the nociceptin receptor. Intravenous administration of hybrid <b>13a</b> (H-Dmt-d-Arg-Aba-β-Ala-Arg-Tyr-Tyr-Arg-Ile-Lys-NH₂) to mice resulted in potent and long lasting antinociception in the tail-flick test, indicating that <b>13a</b> was able to permeate the BBB. This was further supported by a cell-based BBB model. All hybrids alleviated allodynia and hyperalgesia in neuropathic pain models. Especially with respect to hyperalgesia, they showed to be more effective than the parent compounds. Hybrid <b>13a</b> did not result in significant respiratory depression, in contrast to an equipotent analgesic dose of morphine. These hybrids hence represent a promising avenue toward analgesics for the dual treatment of acute and neuropathic pain