THE ANTIMIGRAINE DRUG ERGOTAMINE IS ENDOWED WITH ANTIHYPERALGESIC ACTIVITY

The potential analgesic activity of ergotamine was investigated in a m odel of hyperalgesia induced by morphine withdrawal. Ergotamine, at a dose of 0.01 mg/kg s.c., did not increase the pain threshold in contro l mice but was able, 30 min after injection, to completely prevent the hyperalgesia induced by morphine withdrawal. At a dose 10 times lower , ergotamine did not produce any effect. Abstinent mice did not show a ny impairment of motor coordination as revealed by the rota rod test. These results indicate that ergotamine exerts an antihyperalgesic effe ct in laboratory animals at a dose comparable to that effective in abo rting migraine attacks in humans. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.