Analgesic Drugs Flashcards
How may the analgesics NSAIDs reduce nociception and pain?
- Act at site of injury to decrease nociceptor sensitisation in inflammation.
How may the analgesics - local anaesthetics, reduce nociception and pain?
- Block nerve conduction.
How may the analgesics - opioids and some anti-depressants, reduce nociception and pain?
Suppress transmission of nociceptive signals in dorsal horn of spinal cord.
How may the analgesics - opioids reduce nociception and pain?
Activate/potentiate descending inhibitory controls.
- Suppress transmission of nociceptive signals in dorsal horn of spinal cord.
How may the analgesics - anti-epileptics, reduce nociception and pain?
- Target ion channels that are upregulated in nerve damage.
Give examples of strong opioids.
- Morphine, oxycodone, hydromorphone, heroin, fentanyl.
Give examples of weak opioids.
- Codeine, tramadol, dextropropoxyphene.
Give examples of NSAIDs.
- Aspirin, diclofenac, ibuprofen, indometacin, naproxen.
What is an opiate?
Substance extracted from opium OR of similar structure to substances in opium.
What is an opioid?
ANY agent (including endogenous peptides) that act upon opioid receptors.
How do nociception and pain differ?
- Pain is the awareness of suffering.
- Nociception may occur in absence of pain and vice versa.
Why is pain perception highly variable?
For same degree of nociceptor activity, more or less pain may be perceived depending on level of concurrent innocuous sensory input and behavioural context.
Pain is triggered by what?
- Nociceptor stimulation (C- and Aδ- fibres).
How may nociceptor stimulation (C- and Aδ-) be reduced?
Simultaneous excitation of low threshold mechanoreceptors (LTMs: Aβ-fibres).
Describe the Gate Control Theory of Melzack and Wall.
Nerve impulses stimulated by injury are influenced in the spinal cord by other nerve cells which act as gates to either prevent or facilitate the passage of these impulses.
Certain neurones within the Substantial Gelatinosa are thought to be excited by both large diameter (Aβ) sensory axons and unmyelinated (C/Aδ-) nociceptive axons.
To where do these project?
The spinothalamic tract.
Inputs to projection neurones within the Substantial Gelatinosa are inhibited by?
An interneurone.
What excites the interneurone that inhibits input to projection neurones within the Substantial Gelatinosa?
Aβ axon.
What inhibits the Aβ axon that excites the interneurone responsible for inhibiting input to projection neurones within the Substantial Gelatinosa.
C/Aδ-.
What is the overall outcome of the gate control theory?
Activity in nociceptive axon maximally excites the projection neurone, allowing nociceptive signals to rise to the brain.
Supraspinal anti-nociception is relayed via which pathways and from where?
Descending pathways from the brainstem.
What brain regions are involved in pain perception and emotion?
- Cortex.
- Amygdala.
- Thalamus.
- Hypothalamus.
The brain regions involved in pain perception and emotion project back to the brainstem and spinal cord to modify?
Afferent input.
Excitation by electrical stimulation of the Periaqueductal grey (PAG) region produces what?
Profound analgesia.
The periaqueductal grey (PAG) area may be excited by what - other than electrical stimulation?
- Endogenous opioids (enkephalins).
- Morphine and related compounds.
How do endogenous opioids, morphine and related compounds cause excitation of the periaqueductal grey area?
By inhibiting inhibitory GABAergic interneurones i.e. disinhibition.
What causes excitation of Nucleus raphe magnus?
Morphine.
Opioid action is mediated by?
G-protein-coupled opioid receptors.
G-protein-coupled opioid receptors preferentially signal to?
Gi/o.
G-protein-coupled opioid receptors preferentially signal to Gi/o to produce?
- Inhibition of opening of voltage-activated Ca2+ channels.
- Opening of K+ channels.
- Inhibition of adenylate cyclase.
How does opioid action inhibit opening of voltage-activated Ca2+ channels?
- By suppressing excitatory neurotransmitter release from nociceptor terminals.
- Mediated by Gi/oβγ subunit.
How does opioid action openq K+ channels?
- Suppresses excitation of projection neurones.
- Mediated by Gi/oβγ subunit.
What mediates opioid action in the inhibition of adenylate cyclase?
- Mediated by Gi/oα subunit.
Opioid receptors are distributed throughout the nervous system. Name the three traditional classes.
- μ (mu/ mop).
- δ (delta/ dop).
- κ (kappa/ kop).
Decribe the following opioid receptor.
- μ (mu/ mop).
- Responsible for most analgesic action of opioids.
- Also responsible for some major adverse s/e.
Decribe the following opioid receptor.
- δ (delta/ dop).
- Contributes to analgesia but activation can be pro-convulsant.
Decribe the following opioid receptor.
- κ (kappa/ kop).
- Contributes to analgesia at spinal and peripheral level.
- Activation associated with sedation, dysphoria and hallucinations.
What effect do opioids have on the following system:
- Respiratory?
- Apnoea.
What effect do opioids have on the following system:
- Cardiovascular.
- Orthostatic hypotension.
What effect do opioids have on the following system:
- Gastrointestinal.
- Nausea, vomiting, constipation, increased intrabiliary pressure.
What effect do opioids have on the following system:
- Central nervous system.
- Confusion, euphoria, dysphoria, hallucinations, dizziness, myoclonus, hyperalgesia (with excessive use).
Describe the mechanism that results in the following effect of opioids:
- Apnoea.
- Blunting of medullary respiratory centre to CO2 (hypercapnic response).
- Involves μ (mu/ mop) and δ (delta/ dop) receptors.
Describe the mechanism that results in the following effect of opioids:
- Orthostatic hypotension.
- Reduced sympathetic tone and bradycardia (via actions on medulla).
- Histamine-evoked vasodilation.
- Morphine, but NOT all opioids cause mast cell degranulation which can trigger bronchospasm in asthmatics.
Which opioids cause mast cell degranulation that can trigger bronchospasm in asthmatics?
Morphine.
Describe the mechanism that results in the following effect of opioids:
- GI s/e: nausea, vomiting, constipation, increased intrabiliary pressure.
- Act on chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ - outside the BBB).
- -> Increased smooth muscle tone and decreased motility via enteric neurones.
- Involves μ (mu/ mop) and δ (delta/ dop) receptors.
Describe the mechanism that results in the following effect of opioids:
- CNS s/e: confusion, euphoria, dysphoria, hallucinations, dizziness, myoclonus, hyperalgesia.
- Varying degrees dependent upon specific opioid drug and the receptor subtypes activated.