Buprenorphine and Fischer-344 Rats Post-operative Stress Levels: Impact on Serum Corticosterone Levels.

Abstract

The use of laboratory animals in experiment often requires surgical operations. Post-operative condition often associated with pain and stress. Preemptive analgesia and post operative treatment with buprenorphine can reduce post operative pain and stress and prevent prolonged pain. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that pre operative treatment of buprenorphine reduces stress and suppresses the pre-operative serum corticosterone levels in Fischer 344 rats. A total of 14 adult male Fischer 344 (F344/Sca) rats permanently catheterized in artery carotis communis were used. During 94 hour post-operatively the blood sample was collected at specific time point using Accusampler®, an automated blood sampling. Corticosterone levels were quantified with ELISA method using sheep polyclonal antibody to corticosterone. Buprenorphine is effective as pre-emptive analgesia in F344 strain. However the dose is higher than what has been reported in Sprague Dawley strain. Buprenorphine 1.0 mg/kg significantly suppressed serum corticosterone levels immediately after rats regain consciousness. Rats in buprenorphine 1.0 mg/kg group were protected from post operative body weight loss and reduced water intake compare to control, nutella, and buprenorphine 0.4 mg/kg group. Quantification of fecal corticosteroid metabolites failed to detect stress in present study.