Augmented analgesic effects of L-tryptophan combined with low current transcranial electrostimulation.
The analgesic effects of low current transcranial electrostimulation are both naloxone and pCPA-reversible, suggesting that they may be mediated in part by endogenous opioid and serotonergic activity. The present experiments indicate that pretreatment with the serotonin precursor L-tryptophan results in an increased analgesic effect of electrostimulation as measured by the 50 degrees C wet tail flick test in the rat. Rats receiving both L-tryptophan and electrostimulation displayed significantly more analgesia than rats receiving electrostimulation and injection vehicle alone, rats receiving drug and sham stimulation or rats receiving vehicle and sham stimulation.
Malin
D H
DH
Program in Behavioral Sciences, University of Houston, Houston 77058.
Lake
J R
JR
Hamilton
R F
RF
Skolnick
M H
MH
D000698:Analgesia; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000494:pharmacology*
D014364:Tryptophan