NCT03066739

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether using ultra-low dose naloxone, an opioid antagonist, has the potential to block remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia and tolerance following surgery. There are 3 study groups: (1) low dose remifentanil (LO, 0.1 micrograms/kg/mL), (2) high dose remifentanil (0.4 mg) combined with placebo (HI, 0.4 micrograms/kg/mL), or (3) high dose remifentanil (0.4 mg) combined with ultra-low dose naloxone (HN, 0.004 micrograms/kg/mL naloxone). The hypothesis of the study is that occurrence of remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia (low score in mechanical pain threshold) in the HN group will be lower than in the HI group.

Trial Health

57
Monitor

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
8

participants targeted

Target at below P25 for phase_2

Timeline
Completed

Started Feb 2023

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
terminated

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

February 21, 2017

Completed
7 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

February 28, 2017

Completed
6 years until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

February 25, 2023

Completed
1.8 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 10, 2024

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 10, 2024

Completed
Last Updated

May 25, 2025

Status Verified

May 1, 2025

Enrollment Period

1.8 years

First QC Date

February 21, 2017

Last Update Submit

May 20, 2025

Conditions

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

  • Occurrence of Opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH)

    Mechanical Pain Threshold-determined by von Frey filaments around the incision site

    24 hr Post-surgery

  • Occurrence of Opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH)

    Mechanical Pain Threshold-determined by von Frey filaments around the incision site

    48 hr Post-surgery

Secondary Outcomes (7)

  • Opioid consumption

    24 hr post surgery

  • Opioid consumption

    48 hrs post surgery

  • Cold Pressure Test

    24 hr post surgery

  • Cold Pressure Test

    48 hrs post surgery

  • Visual Analog Scale (VAS) Pain scores

    Baseline

  • +2 more secondary outcomes

Study Arms (3)

LO-low dose remifentanil

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

low dose remifentanil (LO, 0.1 micrograms/kg/mL),

Drug: Remifentanil

HI-high dose remifentanil with placebo

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

high dose remifentanil (0.4 mg) combined with placebo (HI, 0.4 micrograms/kg/mL)

Drug: Remifentanil+ Placebo

HN-high dose remifentanil with ultra-low dose naloxone

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

high dose remifentanil (0.4 mg) combined with ultra-low dose naloxone (HN, 0.004 micrograms/kg/mL naloxone).

Drug: Remifentanil +ultra-low dose naloxone

Interventions

0.1 micrograms/kg/mL

Also known as: LO
LO-low dose remifentanil

high dose remifentanil (0.4 mg) combined with placebo (HI, 0.4 micrograms/kg/mL)

Also known as: HI
HI-high dose remifentanil with placebo

high dose remifentanil (0.4 mg) combined with ultra-low dose naloxone (HN, 0.004 micrograms/kg/mL naloxone

Also known as: HN
HN-high dose remifentanil with ultra-low dose naloxone

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Subjects who provide written informed consent.
  • Gender: male or female.
  • Surgery: Posterior spinal fusions

You may not qualify if:

  • Allergy to opiates
  • Chronic pain other than the primary indication for surgery
  • Psychiatric illness
  • History of substance abuse problem including alcohol \&/or cannabis
  • BMI \> 35
  • Subjects under 18 years of age.
  • Subject without the capacity to give written informed consent. 8. Female subjects who are pregnant

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

UC Irvine Medical Center

Orange, California, 92868, United States

Location

Related Publications (20)

  • Bekhit MH. Opioid-induced hyperalgesia and tolerance. Am J Ther. 2010 Sep-Oct;17(5):498-510. doi: 10.1097/MJT.0b013e3181ed83a0.

    PMID: 20844348BACKGROUND
  • Lin SL, Tsai RY, Shen CH, Lin FH, Wang JJ, Hsin ST, Wong CS. Co-administration of ultra-low dose naloxone attenuates morphine tolerance in rats via attenuation of NMDA receptor neurotransmission and suppression of neuroinflammation in the spinal cords. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2010 Aug;96(2):236-45. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2010.05.012. Epub 2010 May 15.

    PMID: 20478329BACKGROUND
  • King T, Ossipov MH, Vanderah TW, Porreca F, Lai J. Is paradoxical pain induced by sustained opioid exposure an underlying mechanism of opioid antinociceptive tolerance? Neurosignals. 2005;14(4):194-205. doi: 10.1159/000087658.

    PMID: 16215302BACKGROUND
  • Vinik HR, Kissin I. Rapid development of tolerance to analgesia during remifentanil infusion in humans. Anesth Analg. 1998 Jun;86(6):1307-11. doi: 10.1097/00000539-199806000-00033.

    PMID: 9620525BACKGROUND
  • Guignard B, Bossard AE, Coste C, Sessler DI, Lebrault C, Alfonsi P, Fletcher D, Chauvin M. Acute opioid tolerance: intraoperative remifentanil increases postoperative pain and morphine requirement. Anesthesiology. 2000 Aug;93(2):409-17. doi: 10.1097/00000542-200008000-00019.

    PMID: 10910490BACKGROUND
  • Hansen EG, Duedahl TH, Romsing J, Hilsted KL, Dahl JB. Intra-operative remifentanil might influence pain levels in the immediate post-operative period after major abdominal surgery. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2005 Nov;49(10):1464-70. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-6576.2005.00861.x.

    PMID: 16223391BACKGROUND
  • Ma JF, Huang ZL, Li J, Hu SJ, Lian QQ. [Cohort study of remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia in postoperative patients]. Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi. 2011 Apr 12;91(14):977-9. Chinese.

    PMID: 21609550BACKGROUND
  • Cahill CM, Holdridge SV, Morinville A. Trafficking of delta-opioid receptors and other G-protein-coupled receptors: implications for pain and analgesia. Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2007 Jan;28(1):23-31. doi: 10.1016/j.tips.2006.11.003. Epub 2006 Dec 5.

    PMID: 17150262BACKGROUND
  • Holdridge SV, Armstrong SA, Taylor AM, Cahill CM. Behavioural and morphological evidence for the involvement of glial cell activation in delta opioid receptor function: implications for the development of opioid tolerance. Mol Pain. 2007 Mar 12;3:7. doi: 10.1186/1744-8069-3-7.

    PMID: 17352824BACKGROUND
  • Yalcin N, Uzun ST, Reisli R, Borazan H, Otelcioglu S. A comparison of ketamine and paracetamol for preventing remifentanil induced hyperalgesia in patients undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy. Int J Med Sci. 2012;9(5):327-33. doi: 10.7150/ijms.4222. Epub 2012 Jun 20.

    PMID: 22745573BACKGROUND
  • Joly V, Richebe P, Guignard B, Fletcher D, Maurette P, Sessler DI, Chauvin M. Remifentanil-induced postoperative hyperalgesia and its prevention with small-dose ketamine. Anesthesiology. 2005 Jul;103(1):147-55. doi: 10.1097/00000542-200507000-00022.

    PMID: 15983467BACKGROUND
  • Song JW, Lee YW, Yoon KB, Park SJ, Shim YH. Magnesium sulfate prevents remifentanil-induced postoperative hyperalgesia in patients undergoing thyroidectomy. Anesth Analg. 2011 Aug;113(2):390-7. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0b013e31821d72bc. Epub 2011 May 19.

    PMID: 21596876BACKGROUND
  • Aguado D, Abreu M, Benito J, Garcia-Fernandez J, Gomez de Segura IA. Effects of naloxone on opioid-induced hyperalgesia and tolerance to remifentanil under sevoflurane anesthesia in rats. Anesthesiology. 2013 May;118(5):1160-9. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0b013e3182887526.

    PMID: 23407105BACKGROUND
  • Kraemer WJ, Joseph MF, Volek JS, Hoffman JR, Ratamess NA, Newton RU, Fragala MS, French DN, Rubin MA, Scheett TP, McGuigan MR, Thomas GA, Gomez AL, Hakkinen K, Maresh CM. Endogenous opioid peptide responses to opioid and anti-inflammatory medications following eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage. Peptides. 2010 Jan;31(1):88-93. doi: 10.1016/j.peptides.2009.09.031. Epub 2009 Oct 2.

    PMID: 19800931BACKGROUND
  • Luginbuhl M, Gerber A, Schnider TW, Petersen-Felix S, Arendt-Nielsen L, Curatolo M. Modulation of remifentanil-induced analgesia, hyperalgesia, and tolerance by small-dose ketamine in humans. Anesth Analg. 2003 Mar;96(3):726-732. doi: 10.1213/01.ANE.0000048086.58161.18.

    PMID: 12598253BACKGROUND
  • Sen H, Sizlan A, Yanarates O, Emirkadi H, Ozkan S, Dagli G, Turan A. A comparison of gabapentin and ketamine in acute and chronic pain after hysterectomy. Anesth Analg. 2009 Nov;109(5):1645-50. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0b013e3181b65ea0.

    PMID: 19843803BACKGROUND
  • Xuerong Y, Yuguang H, Xia J, Hailan W. Ketamine and lornoxicam for preventing a fentanyl-induced increase in postoperative morphine requirement. Anesth Analg. 2008 Dec;107(6):2032-7. doi: 10.1213/ane.0b013e3181888061.

    PMID: 19020155BACKGROUND
  • Lopez-Alvarez S, Mayo-Moldes M, Zaballos M, Iglesias BG, Blanco-Davila R. Esmolol versus ketamine-remifentanil combination for early postoperative analgesia after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a randomized controlled trial. Can J Anaesth. 2012 May;59(5):442-8. doi: 10.1007/s12630-012-9684-x. Epub 2012 Mar 2.

    PMID: 22383085BACKGROUND
  • Koppert W, Sittl R, Scheuber K, Alsheimer M, Schmelz M, Schuttler J. Differential modulation of remifentanil-induced analgesia and postinfusion hyperalgesia by S-ketamine and clonidine in humans. Anesthesiology. 2003 Jul;99(1):152-9. doi: 10.1097/00000542-200307000-00025.

    PMID: 12826855BACKGROUND
  • Engelhardt T, Zaarour C, Naser B, Pehora C, de Ruiter J, Howard A, Crawford MW. Intraoperative low-dose ketamine does not prevent a remifentanil-induced increase in morphine requirement after pediatric scoliosis surgery. Anesth Analg. 2008 Oct;107(4):1170-5. doi: 10.1213/ane.0b013e318183919e.

    PMID: 18806023BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Hyperalgesia

Interventions

Remifentanil

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Somatosensory DisordersSensation DisordersNeurologic ManifestationsNervous System DiseasesSigns and SymptomsPathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

PropionatesAcids, AcyclicCarboxylic AcidsOrganic ChemicalsPiperidinesHeterocyclic Compounds, 1-RingHeterocyclic Compounds

Study Officials

  • Ariana Nelson, MD

    Associate Clinical Professor

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
phase 2
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
TRIPLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Associate Clinical Professor

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

February 21, 2017

First Posted

February 28, 2017

Study Start

February 25, 2023

Primary Completion

December 10, 2024

Study Completion

December 10, 2024

Last Updated

May 25, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-05

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

Locations