Involvement of descending facilitation from the rostral ventromedial medulla in the enhancement of formalin-evoked nocifensive behavior following repeated forced swim stress.
In the present study we examined whether the descending facilitation from the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) is required for the enhancement of formalin-evoked nocifensive behavior following repeated forced swim stress. Rats were subjected to forced or sham swim stress for 3days. Withdrawal latency to noxious thermal stimuli and mechanical withdrawal threshold to von Frey filaments did not change significantly in both groups at 24h after the last stress session. The forced swim stress showed significantly enhanced nocifensive behavior to the subcutaneous administration of formalin at 2days after the last stress session (1330.1+/-62.8s), compared to the sham swim (1076+/-102.4s, p<0.05) and naive groups (825.9+/-83.2s, p<0.01). The destruction of the RVM with ibotenic acid led to prevent the enhancement of formalin-evoked nocifensive behavior in the forced swim group. These findings suggest that the descending facilitation from the RVM may be involved in the enhancement of formalin-evoked nocifensive behavior following the forced swim stress.
Department of Physiology, Wakayama Medical University, Kimiidera 811-1, Wakayama City, 641-8509, Japan. imbe@wakayama-med.ac.jp
Hiroki
H
Imbe
Keiichiro
K
Okamoto
Tomohiro
T
Donishi
Emiko
E
Senba
Akihisa
A
Kimura
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D005528:Foot; D005557:Formaldehyde; D007051:Ibotenic Acid / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009676:Noxae; D010146:Pain; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D013550:Swimming; D013997:Time Factors
D009676:Noxae; D005557:Formaldehyde; D007051:Ibotenic Acid