title: Augmented analgesic effects of L-tryptophan combined with low current transcranial electrostimulation.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Program in Behavioral Sciences, University of Houston, Houston 77058.
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Malin
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lake
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Skolnick
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D014364:Tryptophan