| Background: Opioid induced neuroinflammation is shown to be implicated in opioid analgesic tolerance
development. In the present study the effect of pioglitazone on morphine-induced tolerance and
neuroinflammation in the cerebral cortex of the rat was investigated.
Materials and methods: Various groups of rats received morphine (10 mg/kg; ip) and vehicle (po), or
morphine (10 mg/kg) and pioglitazone (20 or 40 mg/kg; po) once a day for 17 days. In order to determine
the possible involvement of PPAR-g in the pioglitazone effect, one group of rats received PPAR-g
antagonist, GW-9662 (2 mg/kg; sc), and pioglitazone (40 mg/kg) and morphine once daily for 17 days.
Nociception was assessed using a tail flick apparatus and the percentage of the maximal possible effect
was calculated as well. On 18th day, 2 h after the last morphine injection, the cerebral cortex of the
animals were harvested and the tissue levels of tumour necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1beta,
interleukin-6, interleukin-10 and nuclear factor-kappa B activity were determined.
Results: Co-administration of pioglitazone (40 mg/kg) with morphine not only attenuated morphineinduced
tolerance, but also prevented the up-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumour
necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1beta, interleukin-6) and nuclear factor-kappa B activity in the rat
cerebral cortex. Moreover, GW-9662 (2 mg/kg) administration 30 min before pioglitazone, antagonized
the above mentioned pioglitazone-induced effects.
Conclusion: It is concluded that oral administration of pioglitazone attenuates morphine-induced
tolerance. This effect of pioglitazonemay be, at least in part, due to its anti-inflammatory property which
suppressed the cortical pro-inflammatory cytokine and inhibited of nuclear factor-kappa B activity. |