Buprenorphine alleviates neuropathic pain-like behaviors in rats after spinal cord and peripheral nerve injury.

We have studied and compared the antinociceptive and anti-hyperalgesic effect of the partial opioid receptor agonist buprenorphine in normal and neuropathic rats. In normal rats, systemic buprenorphine produced dose-dependent antinociception on the hot plate test. In rats with peripheral nerve or spinal cord injury, buprenorphine markedly alleviated neuropathic pain-related behaviors, including mechanical and cold allodynia/hyperalgesia at doses comparable to that producing antinociception. The results suggest that buprenorphine may be a useful analgesic for treating neuropathic pain and thus is an atypical opioid since morphine tends to be less potent after nerve injury.