title: The progressive tactile hyperalgesia induced by peripheral inflammation is nerve growth factor dependent.
abstract: Experimental peripheral inflammation results in cutaneous mechanical hypersensitivity, and repeated low intensity mechanical stimulation of the inflamed skin induces a progressively incrementing hyperalgesia. We have now examined whether the elevation in nerve growth factor (NGF) induced by the inflammation contributes to this progressive hyperalgesia. An i.p. injection of anti-NGF antiserum (5 microliters g-1) 1 h before induction of inflammation by intraplantar complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) injection and 24 h after, both reduced the basal inflammatory hypersensitivity and significantly attenuated the progressive increase of spontaneous activity, touch-, pinch- and A beta-afferent-evoked responses, and the progressive reduction of the mechanical threshold of biceps femoris/semitendinosus alpha motoneurones normally evoked by repeated (every 5 min) tactile stimulation of the inflamed hindpaw, in decerebrate-spinal rats. NGF contributes, therefore, to the progressive tactile hyperalgesia elicited by repeated touch stimulation of inflamed tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London, UK.
authors.forename: Q P
authors.initials: QP
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Woolf
mesh_terms: D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007106:Immune Sera; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014110:Touch
chemical_list: D007106:Immune Sera; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant