Nitric oxide mediates behavioral signs of neuropathic pain in an experimental rat model

Young Wook Yoon, Backil Sung, Jin Mo Chung

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

86 Scopus citations

Abstract

THIS study was conducted to determine whether nitric oxide (NO) is involved in the maintenance of behavioral signs of neuropathic pain induced by tightly ligating the left L5 and L6 spinal nerves. Neuropathic rats showed behavioral signs representing mechanical allodynia, cold allodynia and cold- stress exacerbated ongoing pain. Mechanical allodynia was suppressed by N(ω)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 200, 100, 50, 10 μM/kg, i.p.), a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, in a dose-dependent manner. Cold allodynia and cold-stress exacerbated ongoing pain was also attenuated by L-NAME. Neither N(ω)-nitro-D-arginine methyl ester (D-NAME; 200 μM/kg) nor saline changed any of the neuropathic pain behaviors. These results suggested that NO plays an important role in the maintenance of the behavioral signs of neuropathic pain and is involved in common steps in the maintenance of the different modalities of pain such as mechanical allodynia and cold allodynia.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)367-372
Number of pages6
JournalNeuroReport
Volume9
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 16 1998
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Allodynia
  • L-NAME
  • Neuropathic pain
  • Nitric oxide

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

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