Use of Writhing Test for Evaluating Analgesic Activity of Narcotic Antagonists

Summary

In a comparison of 6 narcotic antagonists, the analgesic potencies found on the phenylquinone writhing test, in both mice and rats, roughly paralleled the analgesic potencies reported in man. The analgesic potencies did not correlate with the narcotic antagonist potencies. In view of the fact that the narcotic antagonist analgesics are inactive on the usual analgesic tests in animals, it appears that the writhing test may be a valuable aid in attempting to predict the analgesic activity of narcotic antagonists in man.