THE PHARMACOLOGY OF N-ALLYLNORMORPHINE AS COMPARED WITH MORPHINE

¹ From the Departments of Pharmacology of Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, and of Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven

N-allylnormorphine produces a transitory stimulation of respiration followed by a slight depression.

The depression of respiration by morphine is prevented if the allyl compound is administered previously or is abolished if the allyl derivative is given after the morphine.

N-allylnormorphine is at least as potent as morphine in raising the pain threshold of rats.

On the intestinal tract, N-allylnormorphine has actions opposite to those of morphine. However, premedication with the allyl compound does not prevent, but only decreases, the effects of morphine.

The excitement phenomena observed in cats following administration of morphine are not seen when N-allylnormorphine is given in comparable doses.

The LD 50 of N-allylnormorphine for white mice by intraperitoneal injection is 491.5 mgm./kgm.; and by subcutaneous injection, 703.8 mgm./kgm. The mortality of mice which have received toxic doses of morphine is decreased by the subsequent administration of N-allylnormorphine.

From these findings it appears that replacement of the N-methyl group of morphine by N-allyl eliminates the respiratory depressant action, does not diminish the analgesic action, alters the action on the intestinal tract, and alters the excitant action in the cat. In most respects the allyl derivative is antagonistic to the parent compound.

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