title: Inhibition of tonic spinal glutamatergic activity induces antinociception in the rat.
abstract: Inhibition of tonic activity in spino-supraspinal projection neurons induces heterosegmental antinociception that is mediated by opioid receptors in nucleus accumbens. To investigate the origin of this tonic activity, we evaluated the ability of inhibiting neurotransmission in the spinal cord to produce heterosegmental antinociception in the trigeminal nociceptive jaw-opening reflex (JOR) in the rat. Spinal intrathecal administration of calcium channel blockers attenuated the JOR, suggesting that the tonic spinal activity depends on synaptic input. To identify the excitatory neurotransmitter receptors involved, selective antagonists for AMPA/kainate, mGluR1, NMDA or NK1 receptors were administered intrathecally to the spinal cord. The AMPA/kainate and mGluR1 receptor antagonists, but not the NMDA or NK1 receptor antagonists, induced antinociception, which was antagonized by intra-accumbens administration of the selective micro -opioid receptor antagonist CTOP. Thus, inhibition of tonic spinal glutamatergic activity resulted in supraspinally mediated antinociception. As this antinociception occurred in the absence of interventions that would produce a facilitated nociceptive state, this tonic glutamatergic activity is important in setting nociceptive threshold.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of California, San Francisco 94143 CA, USA.
authors.forename: Claudia H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tambeli
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Parada
authors.forename: Jon D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Gear
mesh_terms: D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D064729:Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000378:metabolism; D018847:Opioid Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D010146:Pain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020671:Posterior Horn Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D018040:Receptors, Neurokinin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D015220:Calcium Channels; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D064729:Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists; D018847:Opioid Peptides; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D018094:Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D018040:Receptors, Neurokinin-1; D018698:Glutamic Acid