Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 114, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Vet J. 2012 Aug;193(2):464-70. doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2012.01.015. Epub 2012 Feb 17.
Epidural morphine is widely used in veterinary medicine, but there is no information about the anti-hyperalgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in acute inflammatory joint disease in horses. The analgesic, anti-hyperalgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of epidural morphine (100mg/animal or 0.17 ± 0.02 mg/kg) were therefore investigated in horses with acute synovitis. In a cross-over study, synovitis was induced in the talocrural joint by intra-articular lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The effect of epidural morphine was evaluated using physiological, kinematic and behavioural variables. Ranges of motion (ROM) of the metatarsophalangeal and talocrural joints were measured, clinical lameness scores and mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) were assessed and synovial fluid inflammatory markers were measured. The injection of LPS induced transient synovitis, resulting in clinical lameness, decreased ranges of motion in the talocrural and metatarsophalangeal joints, decreased limb loading at rest and increased composite pain scores. Epidural morphine resulted in a significant improvement in clinical lameness, increased ROM and improved loading of the LPS-injected limb at rest, with no effects on synovial fluid inflammatory markers. Morphine prevented a decrease in MNT and, hence, inhibited the development of hyperalgesia close to the dorsal aspect of inflamed talocrural joints. This study showed that epidural morphine provides analgesic and anti-hyperalgesic effects in horses with acute synovitis, without exerting peripheral anti-inflammatory effects.
硬膜外吗啡在兽医临床上广泛应用，但尚无关于硬膜外吗啡对马急性炎症性关节病的抗痛觉过敏和抗炎作用的信息。因此，研究了硬膜外吗啡（100mg/动物或 0.17±0.02mg/kg）对急性滑膜炎马的镇痛、抗痛觉过敏和抗炎作用。在一项交叉研究中，通过关节内注射脂多糖（LPS）诱导距小腿关节滑膜炎。使用生理、运动学和行为变量评估硬膜外吗啡的作用。测量跖跗关节和距小腿关节的活动范围（ROM），评估临床跛行评分和机械性疼痛阈值（MNTs），并测量滑液的炎症标志物。LPS 注射引起短暂性滑膜炎，导致临床跛行、距小腿和跖跗关节活动范围减小、休息时负重减少以及综合疼痛评分增加。硬膜外吗啡可显著改善临床跛行，增加 ROM，并改善 LPS 注射肢体的休息时负重，对滑液炎症标志物无影响。吗啡可防止 MNT 降低，从而抑制炎症距小腿关节背侧附近的痛觉过敏发展。本研究表明，硬膜外吗啡可对急性滑膜炎马产生镇痛和抗痛觉过敏作用，而无外周抗炎作用。
