Of the sedative Midazolam (10 mmol/kg) on LCEP is abolished if the dominant frequency of EEG is kept stable by adjusting the Isoflurane level, whereas the depressant effect of A196 site Morphine 3 mg/kg on LECP was still significant after an analogous adjustment of the Isoflurane level. These findings, as well as the notion that recordings of LCEP maySedation and Analgesia Effects on Rat Sbe useful to assess the get 548-04-9 analgesic properties of a drug provided the dominant frequency of EEG is kept stable, are discussed below.Effects of analgesics on LCEP and dominant frequency of EEGPerhaps the most common analgesic used to attenuate clinical pain in humans and nociceptive behaviour in animals is Morphine [39?2]. Morphine is an opioid receptor agonist with high affinity towards the mu-receptor subclass [40]. The analgesic effect of Morphine is thought to origin from both spinal and supraspinal mechanisms. The present study shows that LCEP is depressed by systemic Morphine and thus confirms previous data [15,18,43]. However, since Morphine also exhibit sedative properties [44?5], the possibility that the entire effect on LCEP is due to its sedative properties could not be excluded. In the present study, the finding that administration of 3 mg/kg, but not 1 mg/kg of Morphine, produced a statistically significant effect on the LCEP also when the dominant EEG frequency was kept stable, indicates that 26001275 the effect on LCEP of Morphine, at least for the higher dose tested, is partly due to its analgesic properties. However, the finding that the effect of Morphine (1 mg/kg) on LCEP was significantly reduced when compensating for the effects on the dominant frequency of EEG may suggest that sedation also contributes to the effect of morphine on the LCEP.Effects of sedation on LCEP and dominant frequency of EEGIn the present study, rats were anaesthetized by Isoflurane and nitrous oxide such that the mean dominant EEG frequency was kept close to 4 Hz and clear LCEPs could be evoked. Increasing the Isoflurane level from 0.9 to 1.1 and 1.3 slowed down the EEG rhythm and, in parallel, depressed the magnitude of the LCEP. Midazolam 10 mmol/kg i.v. had similar effects on LCEP and EEG indicating a sedative effect of the compound [31]. Midazolam is a well-known Benzodiazepine that binds to GABAa receptors and increase the chloride current of the receptor, thus resulting in depression of neural activity [32]. The main effect of benzodiazepines is sedative [32?3], but depending on mode of administration have been claimed to show or not to show analgesic or analgesic-like effects [34]. For example, intravenously administered benzodiazepines are not generally considered to have analgesic properties [35], while intrathecal administration, using reflex tests, have been claimed to result in antinociception [36]. The fact that even low doses of benzodiazepines often produce significant sedation has made the interpretation of data more difficult as most studies have used behavioural nociceptive tests, which are easily affected by changes in the state of awareness of the animal. An important finding in the present study was that at the dose tested the depressant effects of Midazolam on both LCEP and EEG dominant frequency was very similar to the effect of adding 0.2 Isoflurane (see Figure 1) and that this effect was reversed by lowering the Isoflurane level by 0.2 (Figure 3). Since there was no differential effect at this dose of Midazolam on LCEP and EEG it appears that the eff.Of the sedative Midazolam (10 mmol/kg) on LCEP is abolished if the dominant frequency of EEG is kept stable by adjusting the Isoflurane level, whereas the depressant effect of Morphine 3 mg/kg on LECP was still significant after an analogous adjustment of the Isoflurane level. These findings, as well as the notion that recordings of LCEP maySedation and Analgesia Effects on Rat Sbe useful to assess the analgesic properties of a drug provided the dominant frequency of EEG is kept stable, are discussed below.Effects of analgesics on LCEP and dominant frequency of EEGPerhaps the most common analgesic used to attenuate clinical pain in humans and nociceptive behaviour in animals is Morphine [39?2]. Morphine is an opioid receptor agonist with high affinity towards the mu-receptor subclass [40]. The analgesic effect of Morphine is thought to origin from both spinal and supraspinal mechanisms. The present study shows that LCEP is depressed by systemic Morphine and thus confirms previous data [15,18,43]. However, since Morphine also exhibit sedative properties [44?5], the possibility that the entire effect on LCEP is due to its sedative properties could not be excluded. In the present study, the finding that administration of 3 mg/kg, but not 1 mg/kg of Morphine, produced a statistically significant effect on the LCEP also when the dominant EEG frequency was kept stable, indicates that 26001275 the effect on LCEP of Morphine, at least for the higher dose tested, is partly due to its analgesic properties. However, the finding that the effect of Morphine (1 mg/kg) on LCEP was significantly reduced when compensating for the effects on the dominant frequency of EEG may suggest that sedation also contributes to the effect of morphine on the LCEP.Effects of sedation on LCEP and dominant frequency of EEGIn the present study, rats were anaesthetized by Isoflurane and nitrous oxide such that the mean dominant EEG frequency was kept close to 4 Hz and clear LCEPs could be evoked. Increasing the Isoflurane level from 0.9 to 1.1 and 1.3 slowed down the EEG rhythm and, in parallel, depressed the magnitude of the LCEP. Midazolam 10 mmol/kg i.v. had similar effects on LCEP and EEG indicating a sedative effect of the compound [31]. Midazolam is a well-known Benzodiazepine that binds to GABAa receptors and increase the chloride current of the receptor, thus resulting in depression of neural activity [32]. The main effect of benzodiazepines is sedative [32?3], but depending on mode of administration have been claimed to show or not to show analgesic or analgesic-like effects [34]. For example, intravenously administered benzodiazepines are not generally considered to have analgesic properties [35], while intrathecal administration, using reflex tests, have been claimed to result in antinociception [36]. The fact that even low doses of benzodiazepines often produce significant sedation has made the interpretation of data more difficult as most studies have used behavioural nociceptive tests, which are easily affected by changes in the state of awareness of the animal. An important finding in the present study was that at the dose tested the depressant effects of Midazolam on both LCEP and EEG dominant frequency was very similar to the effect of adding 0.2 Isoflurane (see Figure 1) and that this effect was reversed by lowering the Isoflurane level by 0.2 (Figure 3). Since there was no differential effect at this dose of Midazolam on LCEP and EEG it appears that the eff.