title: Uterine cervical distension induces cFos expression in deep dorsal horn neurons of the rat spinal cord.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Uterine cervical distension underlies labor pain, yet its neurophysiology and pharmacology of inhibition remain unexplored. The authors examined uterine cervical distension-evoked cFos immunoreactivity in rat spinal cords, and the inhibitory effect of spinal cyclo-oxygenase inhibition on cFos expression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female rats were anesthetized with halothane, and pairs of metal rods were inserted in each cervical os through a mid-line laparotomy. A submaximal distension force (75 g) was applied for either 30 or 60 min, or, in control animals, no force was applied. Other animals received cervical lidocaine infiltration prior to uterine cervical distension. At the end of the experiments, the spinal cord at T12 to L2 levels was harvested and immunostained for cFos protein. Other animals received intrathecal ketorolac (0, 5, 25, and 50 microg; n = 5-6 for each group) prior to uterine cervical distension.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Uterine cervical distension significantly increased cFos immunoreactivity in the spinal cord from T12 to L2, with most cFos expression in the deep dorsal and central canal regions. Surgical preparation alone without uterine cervical distension resulted in minimal cFos expression, primarily in the superficial dorsal horn. Uterine cervical distension-evoked cFos expression was prevented by prior infiltration of lidocaine into the cervix. Intrathecal ketorolac produced a dose-dependent inhibition of uterine cervical distension-induced cFos expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study demonstrates that uterine cervical distension results in a similar pattern of spinal cord neuronal activation as seen with other noxious visceral stimuli. The inhibition of cFos expression by intrathecal ketorolac suggests that spinal cyclo-oxygenase plays a role in uterine cervical distension-induced nociception.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157, USA. ctong@wfubmc.edu
authors.forename: Chuanyao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Weiya
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Sang-Wook
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Eisenach
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002404:Catheterization; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D016762:Genes, fos / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D020910:Ketorolac / Q000494:pharmacology; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D020671:Posterior Horn Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D014599:Uterus / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D013385:Succinate Dehydrogenase; D020910:Ketorolac