Elevated level of the proinflammatory chemokine, RANTES/CCL5, in the periaqueductal grey causes hyperalgesia in rats.
The present data provide the first in vivo evidence that the proinflammatory chemokine, Regulated on Activation Normal T cell Expressed and Secreted (RANTES/CCL5) microinjected directly into the periaqueductal grey in rats, a brain region critical to the processing of pain signals, and a primary site of action of many analgesic compounds, induced hyperalgesia. Pretreatment with antibodies against RANTES/CCL5 prevented the hyperalgesic response, indicating that RANTES/CCL5 is able to interfere with the control of hyperalgesia at the level of the periaqueductal grey and suggesting that chemokine blockers could have analgesic properties.
Benamar
Khalid
K
Center for Substance Abuse Research (CSAR), Temple University School of Medicine, 3400 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA. kbenamar@temple.edu
Geller
Ellen B
EB
Adler
Martin W
MW
D000818:Animals; D019138:Antibodies, Blocking / Q000494:pharmacology; D018946:Chemokine CCL5 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008845:Microinjections; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold; D010487:Periaqueductal Gray / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D019138:Antibodies, Blocking; D018946:Chemokine CCL5