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ANESTHETIC PHARMACOLOGY

Meloxicam, a Specific COX-2 Inhibitor, Does Not Enhance the Isoflurane Minimum Alveolar Concentration Reduction Produced by Morphine in the Rat

From the Servicio de Cirugía Experimental, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, Spain

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Francisco J. Tendillo, Servicio de Cirugía Experimental, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, San Martín de Porres 4, 28035 Madrid, Spain. Address email to pacoten{at}terra.es and marsangon@terra.es.

A synergistic effect of nonselective cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors on morphine-induced decrease of isoflurane minimum alveolar concentration (MAC_ISO) has been observed in the rat. We studied the influence of specific COX-2 inhibitors on this decrease of MAC. Sixty-four female rats were anesthetized with isoflurane in oxygen. The animals were grouped into saline solution, aspirin (30 mg/kg), morphine (1 mg/kg), morphine (1 mg/kg) + aspirin (30 mg/kg), meloxicam (1 and 3 mg/kg), and morphine (1 mg/kg) + meloxicam (1 and 3 mg/kg). Then the MAC_ISO was determined from alveolar gas samples at the time of tail clamp. The groups treated with saline solution, aspirin, and 1 and 3 mg/kg meloxicam did not express any statistically relevant changes among them. The administration of morphine + meloxicam 1 or 3 mg/kg significantly reduced the MAC_ISO just as in the group where only morphine was administered (morphine 1.35% ± 0.07%, morphine + 1 mg/kg meloxicam 1.36% ± 0.04%, and morphine + 3 mg/kg meloxicam 1.37% ± 0.08%). The greatest reduction of MAC_ISO was after administration of morphine + aspirin (1.19% ± 0.05%). The administration of meloxicam does not potentiate the morphine-induced decrease of MAC_ISO in the rat.

IMPLICATIONS: A synergistic effect between morphine and aspirin on isoflurane minimum alveolar concentration has been observed in the rat—an effect that does not occur between morphine and meloxicam.

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