title: Effects of a cannabinoid agonist on spinal nociceptive neurons in a rodent model of neuropathic pain.
abstract: The effects of the synthetic cannabinoid WIN 55,212-2 on heat-evoked firing of spinal wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons were examined in a rodent model of neuropathic pain. Fifty-eight WDR neurons (1 cell/animal) were recorded from the ipsilateral spinal dorsal horns of rats with chronic constriction injury (CCI) and sham-operated controls. Relative to sham-operated controls, neurons recorded in CCI rats showed elevations in spontaneous firing, noxious heat-evoked responses, and afterdischarge firing as well as increases in receptive field size. WIN 55,212-2 (0.0625, 0.125, and 0.25 mg/kg, intravenous) dose-dependently suppressed heat-evoked activity and decreased the receptive field areas of dorsal horn WDR neurons in both nerve injured and control rats with a greater inhibition in CCI rats. At the dose of 0.125 mg/kg iv, WIN 55,212-2 reversed the hyperalgesia produced by nerve injury. The effect of intravenous administration of WIN 55,212-2 appears to be centrally mediated because administration of the drug directly to the ligated nerve did not suppress the heat-evoked neuronal activity in CCI rats. Pretreatment with the cannabinoid CB(1) receptor antagonists SR141716A or AM251, but not the CB(2) antagonist SR144528, blocked the effects. These results provide a neural basis for reports of potent suppression by cannabinoids of the abnormal sensory responses that result from nerve injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405-7007, USA. walkerjm@indiana.edu
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: J Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D048588:Benzoxazines; D001892:Camphanes / Q000494:pharmacology; D063386:Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists; D063387:Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonists; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009025:Morpholines / Q000494:pharmacology; D009281:Naphthalenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000187:drug effects*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D020671:Posterior Horn Cells / Q000502:physiology; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000187:drug effects; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2 / Q000819:agonists / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000187:drug effects; D000077285:Rimonabant; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D048588:Benzoxazines; D001892:Camphanes; D063386:Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists; D063387:Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonists; D009025:Morpholines; D009281:Naphthalenes; D010880:Piperidines; D011720:Pyrazoles; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2; C110630:SR 144528; C103505:AM 251; C070417:(3R)-((2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-((4-morpholinyl)methyl)pyrrolo-(1,2,3-de)-1,4-benzoxazin-6-yl)(1-naphthalenyl))methanone; D000077285:Rimonabant