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Comparative Study 2008; 29(6): 953-957 PubMed PMID: 19112399 Citation  Keywords:  Analgesics:administration & dosage, Analysis of Variance, Animals, Anticonvulsants:administration & dosage, Disease Models, Animal, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Male, Morphine:administration & dosage, Pain, Postoperative:prevention & control, Piracet.   

OBJECTIVES: Preemptive versus therapeutic effects of levetiracetam were investigated in a model of postoperative incisional pain in rats.

METHODS: Levetiracetam (250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg intraperitoneal (i.p.) or morphine (5 mg/kg i.p.) was administered either 1 h before (preemptive administration) or 1 h after (therapeutic administration) incisional surgery to the hind paw of rats. The effects of levetiracetam were evaluated based on thermal hyperalgesia measured by the plantar test.

RESULTS: All preoperatively treated levetiracetam groups showed a significant, dose dependent, increase in paw withdrawal latency. However, post-incisional administration of levetiracetam produced no antihyperalgesic effect at any dose or at any time. In contrast, post-incisional administration of morphine reduced thermal hyperalgesia, while preemptive administration of morphine did not produce any significant antihyperalgesic effects.

CONCLUSION: The present results suggest that levetiracetam might possess preemptive analgesic activity....

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