title: Dual Roles for Endothelin-B Receptors in Modulating Adjuvant-Induced Inflammatory Hyperalgesia in Rats.
abstract: Injection of endothelin-1 (ET-1) into the plantar rat hindpaw causes acute pain at high concentrations and tactile sensitization at low concentrations. The pro-nociceptive actions are driven through ET(A) receptors for both levels of [ET-1], but the ET(B) receptors are only pro-nociceptive for allodynia from low [ET-1] and anti-nociceptive for pain from high [ET-1]. The goal of the present work was to discriminate the roles of the ET receptors in the acute hyperalgesia from inflammation by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA, 20 mg/paw) into the rat hindpaw. Selective antagonists were injected l0 min before and then together with CFA. An ET(A) receptor antagonist, BQ-123, reduced CFA-induced thermal hyperalgesia (by up to 50%), as did an ET(B) receptor antagonist, BQ-788 (by up to 66%). BQ-123 and BQ-788 also delayed the onset (by 1.5 - 2 h) but insignificantly reduced the maximum degree of CFA-induced allodynia (~10%). Surprisingly, an ET(B) receptor agonist, IRL-1620, also reduced maximum thermal hyperalgesia induced by CFA, suppressed peak allodynia and delayed its occurrence by ~ 3 h. The latter actions of IRL-1620 were reversed by co-administration of BQ-788, naloxone hydrochloride and the peripherally restricted opiate receptor antagonist naloxone methiodide, and by antiserum against β-endorphin. These findings demonstrate an important role for endogenous ET-1 in acute inflammatory pain and a dual action of ET(B) receptors, including a pro-algesic action along with the important activation of a local analgesic pathway, implying that at least two different ET(B) receptors contribute to modulation of inflammatory pain.
authors.affiliation: Pain Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Alla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khodorova
authors.forename: Shiping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dubner
authors.forename: Gudarz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Davar
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Strichartz