The antinociceptive effect of mirtazapine in mice is mediated through serotonergic, noradrenergic and opioid mechanisms

Abstract

The antinociceptive effects of the noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant (NaSSA) drug mirtazapine and its interaction with various opioid receptor subtypes were evaluated in mice with a hotplate analgesicmeter. Mirtazapine elicited an antinociceptive effect in a dose-dependent manner following doses from 1 to 7.5 mg/kg. As the mirtazapine dose increased beyond 10 mg/kg latencies returned to baseline, yielding a biphasic dose–response curve. The effect of opioid, adrenergic, and serotonergic receptor antagonists was examined as to their ability to block mirtazapine antinociception. Mirtazapine (at 10 mg/kg)-induced antinociception was significantly inhibited by naloxone, nor-BNI, and naltrindole, but neither by β-FNA nor by naloxonazine, implying the involvement of κ 1- and δ-opioid mechanisms. When adrenergic and serotonergic antagonists were used, both metergoline and yohimbine, decreased antinociception elicited by mirtazapine, implying a combined serotonergic and noradrenergic mechanism of antinociception. When mirtazapine was administered together with various agonists of the opioid receptor subtypes, it significantly potentiated antinociception mediated only by κ 3-opioid receptor subtypes. Summing up these results we conclude that the antinociceptive effect of mirtazapine is mainly influenced by the κ 3-opioid receptor subtype combined with both serotonergic and noradrenergic receptors. These results suggest a potential use of mirtazapine in the management of some pain syndromes, and raise questions regarding a possible indirect opioid-dependence induced by mirtazapine. However, further research is needed in order to establish both the exact clinical indications and the effective doses of mirtazapine when prescribed for pain.