title: Excitatory effects of galanin in the spinal cord of intact, anaesthetized rats.
abstract: The effects of intrathecal galanin on the activity of single wide dynamic range (WDR) spinal dorsal horn neurones were analyzed in anaesthetized adult rats. Abeta-, Adelta- and C-fibres were activated by transcutaneous electrical stimulation which also induced wind-up and post-discharge. Galanin dose-dependently (0. 15-15 nmol/50 microl) enhanced Adelta-and C-fibre evoked responses, post-discharge and wind-up. Application of (D-Thr(6), D-Trp(8, 9), 15-ol)-galanin (1-15), a putative antagonist, did not attenuate the enhanced effects evoked by galanin. (D-Thr(6), D-Trp(8, 9), 15-ol)-galanin (1-15) applied alone (0.3-30 nmol/50 microl) to a separate population of neurones inhibited Abeta responses but enhanced post-discharge and wind-up in a similar pattern to galanin. Thus, (D-Thr(6), D-Trp(8, 9), 15-ol)-galanin (1-15) behaved as an agonist in the present experiments. In conclusion, in the spinal cord of the anaesthetized rat, galanin has a purely pro-nociceptive role, since it enhanced responses evoked by high-threshold fibre stimulation, along with post-discharge and wind-up of WDR neurones.
authors.affiliation: Novartis Institute for Medical Sciences, 5 Gower Place, WC1E 6BN, London, UK. alison.reeve@pharma.novartis.com
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Reeve
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Urban
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fox
mesh_terms: D000769:Anesthesia, Inhalation; D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D019004:Galanin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D020671:Posterior Horn Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D019004:Galanin