The Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing is an academic center affiliated with the Division of Toxicological Sciences in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

 

Johns Hopkins School of Public Health

Research Grants 2007-2008

Opioid analgesics and their role in post-surgical gut stasis and anorexia in the rabbit

Diana Scorpio, DVM, MPH
Johns Hopkins University

Gastrointestinal side effects of opioid (narcotic) drugs are common in many mammals, including humans, and are characterized by lack of appetite, nausea, and constipation.  Usually, these effects are temporary and of little consequence in humans and most mammals, although in rabbits, decreased intestinal motility can be devastating; it can contribute to longer recovery after surgery and can cause subsequent illness, which can be problematic when performing scientific studies.  Rabbits have complex intestinal functions that are sensitive to change caused by illness, stress, or surgery.  A temporary interruption in normal intestinal movements can result in decreased appetite and reduced stool production.  In New Zealand White rabbits that undergo abdominal surgery, we have clinically observed that certain opioids like buprenorphine (same family as morphine), when used for extended periods after surgery, relieves pain but may contribute to reduced appetite, diminished stool production, and weight loss.  These effects seem to occur in the absence of pain from surgery.  Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as meloxicam (same class as ibuprofen) for pain after surgery may help to reduce these intestinal complications while allowing for a smoother, shorter post-surgery recovery and rapid return to normal eating habits, stool production, and well-being.