The effects of microinjection of morphine into thalamic nucleus submedius on formalin-evoked nociceptive responses of neurons in the rat spinal dorsal horn.
Previous studies have indicated that the thalamic nucleus submedius (Sm), as an ascending component, is involved in an endogenous analgesic system consisting of spinal cord-Sm-ventrolateral orbital cortex (VLO)-periaqueductal gray (PAG)-spinal cord loop. To investigate the action of opioid in this antinociception pathway, the effects of microinjection of morphine and naloxone into the Sm on the formalin-induced nociceptive responses of neurons in the spinal dorsal horn were determined in the anesthetized rat. Formalin (5%, 50 microl) subcutaneously injected into unilateral hindpaw produced a biphasic nociceptive response which was similar to that obtained from assessing the nociceptive behavior either in the relative magnitude of response or the time course. A unilateral microinjection of morphine (5 microg, 0.5 microl) into the Sm 15 min after formalin injection significantly depressed the second phasic responses of neurons induced by formalin, and this effect was significantly attenuated by pre-microinjection of opioid receptor antagonist naloxone (1 microg, 0.5 microl) into the same site. The results suggest that the Sm is involved in opioid receptor-mediated antinociceptive effect on the persistent nociception through depression of the nociceptive transmission at the spinal cord level.
Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases of Ministry of Education, Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, PR China.
Mei
M
Zhao
Qiang
Q
Li
Jing-Shi
JS
Tang
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D004347:Drug Interactions / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008845:Microinjections; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D020671:Posterior Horn Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009020:Morphine