Antinociceptive effects of medetomidin and its combination with ketamine in rat

Abstract

Effects of medetomidine and of its combination with ketamine have been investigated using two pain threshold methods in laboratory rat. Medetomidine alone has no effect on pain threshold or decreases it, while its combination with low dose of ketamine evokes deep analgesia.

Possible mechanisms are discussed.

Keywords

• antinociception
• medetomidine
• ketamine
• a2-adrenergic receptors
• NMDA receptors