title: Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibition reduces spinal nociceptive activity.
abstract: Several variants of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene have recently been linked to pain sensitivity. In the present study, electrophysiological field potential recordings from the dorsal horn in rats were used to examine the spinal effect of reduced COMT activity. The data demonstrated that 30 mg/kg of the COMT inhibitor OR 486 reduced spinal nociceptive responses to painful stimuli (p<or=0.01, OR 486 vs. vehicle) and attenuated the expression of spinal long-term potentiation (LTP), an often studied model for central sensitization (p<or=0.01, HFS vs. HFS+OR 486). Our findings suggest that low COMT activity may have an antinociceptive effect in the spinal cord.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway. line.jacobsen@stami.no
authors.forename: Line M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.forename: Guro S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Eriksen
authors.forename: Linda M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gjerstad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase / Q000502:physiology; D065098:Catechol O-Methyltransferase Inhibitors; D002396:Catechols / Q000494:pharmacology; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005260:Female; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation; D036421:Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020671:Posterior Horn Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D065098:Catechol O-Methyltransferase Inhibitors; D002396:Catechols; D002394:Catechol O-Methyltransferase; C057726:OR486