Adenosine does not evoke pain from venous and paravascular nociceptors in the human.
OBJECTIVE
The pain evoking and pain modulating properties of adenosine were studied at venous and paravascular nociceptors in humans.


METHODS
In six volunteers, adenosine (3 to 15.10(-3) M) was perfused continuously through vascularly isolated segments of dorsal hand veins or injected into occluded finger veins. The effects of adenosine on pain evoked by intravenous electrostimulation of hand veins were also studied. The subjects rated the pain intensities on a visual analogue scale.


RESULTS
Adenosine neither evoked pain nor altered the intensities of electrically evoked pain.


CONCLUSIONS
Adenosine does not mediate or modulate pain via venous or paravascular nociceptors. Therefore these nociceptors are unlikely to be involved in adenosine related ischaemia pain.
Klement
W
W
Abteilung für Experimentelle Anaesthesiologie der Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Arndt
J O
JO
D000241:Adenosine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000294:innervation*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D006225:Hand / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000187:drug effects*; D010146:Pain / Q000139:chemically induced*; D010477:Perfusion
D000241:Adenosine