RESUMO
The zona incerta (ZI) is a subthalamic nucleus connected to several structures, some of them known to be involved with antinociception. The ZI itself may be involved with both antinociception and nociception. The antinociceptive effects of stimulating the ZI with glutamate using the rat tail-flick test and a rat model of incision pain were examined. The effects of intraperitoneal antagonists of acetylcholine, noradrenaline, serotonin, dopamine, or opioids on glutamate-induced antinociception from the ZI in the tail-flick test were also evaluated. The injection of glutamate (7 µg/0.25 µl) into the ZI increased tail-flick latency and inhibited post-incision pain, but did not change the animal performance in a Rota-rod test. The injection of glutamate into sites near the ZI was non effective. The glutamate-induced antinociception from the ZI did not occur in animals with bilateral lesion of the dorsolateral funiculus, or in rats treated intraperitoneally with naloxone (1 and 2 m/kg), methysergide (1 and 2 m/kg) or phenoxybenzamine (2 m/kg), but remained unchanged in rats treated with atropine, mecamylamine, or haloperidol (all given at doses of 1 and 2 m/kg). We conclude that the antinociceptive effect evoked from the ZI is not due to a reduced motor performance, is likely to result from the activation of a pain-inhibitory mechanism that descends to the spinal cord via the dorsolateral funiculus, and involves at least opioid, serotonergic and α-adrenergic mechanisms. This profile resembles the reported effects of these antagonists on the antinociception caused by stimulating the periaqueductal gray or the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus.
Assuntos
Analgésicos/administração & dosagem , Ácido Glutâmico/administração & dosagem , Dor/tratamento farmacológico , Subtálamo/efeitos dos fármacos , Animais , Atropina/administração & dosagem , Haloperidol/administração & dosagem , Masculino , Mecamilamina/administração & dosagem , Metisergida/administração & dosagem , Microinjeções , Naloxona/administração & dosagem , Dor/patologia , Dor/fisiopatologia , Medição da Dor , Fenoxibenzamina/administração & dosagem , Ratos , Ratos Wistar , Núcleo Subtalâmico/efeitos dos fármacos , Núcleo Subtalâmico/patologia , Núcleo Subtalâmico/fisiopatologia , Subtálamo/patologia , Subtálamo/fisiopatologiaRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Systolic blood pressure (SBP) is still measured in rats by the tail-cuff method, allowing readings when pulse/flow disappears during cuff inflation and reappears during deflation, separated by a compression interval. Although cuff deflation is habitually used to estimate SBP, we found cuff deflation-cuff inflation pressure to be usually negative, indicating that cuff deflation pressure < cuff inflation pressure. METHODS: SBP was measured in 226 male Wistar and SHR utilizing compression intervals of different durations, and also pharmacological interventions intended to modulate the cuff deflation-cuff inflation cycle. Direct, simultaneous intravascular measurements were also performed in some animals. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: With compression interval congruent with 15 s, cuff deflation-cuff inflation was--6 +/- 0.6 mmHg in 73 Wistar and--6 +/- 1.4 mmHg in 51 SHR. Lengthening compression interval up to 4 min increased cuff deflation-cuff inflation pressure significantly to--27 +/- 3 mmHg in Wistar and to - 31 +/- 5 mmHg in SHR, suggesting accumulation of a vasodilating mediator. This increase of cuff deflation-cuff inflation pressure was prevented by papaverine (totally in Wistar, partially in SHR), indicating its dependence on vasodilatory capacity. Adrenergic blockade decreased cuff deflation-cuff inflation pressure to--13 +/- 5 mmHg (P < 0.05) in SHR, but had no effect in Wistar rats. Injection of L-NAME decreased cuff deflation-cuff inflation pressure to--5 +/- 2 mmHg (P < 0.05) in Wistar rats but was ineffective in SHR. Simultaneous measurements by tail-cuff method and carotid cannulation revealed that the cuff inflation most accurately estimated the intravascular SBP. CONCLUSIONS: 1) Cuff inflation measurements should be considered representative of SBP, as cuff deflation can underestimate SBP depending on compression interval duration, 2) nitric oxide accumulation due to flow deprivation is the main cause of SBP underestimation by cuff deflation in Wistar, and 3) in SHR, nitric oxide effects were minimal, and sympathetic activation plus physical factors seemed to predominate in the determining the outcome of measurements.
Assuntos
Pressão Sanguínea/fisiologia , Hipertensão/fisiopatologia , Cauda/irrigação sanguínea , Antagonistas Adrenérgicos alfa/administração & dosagem , Antagonistas Adrenérgicos alfa/farmacologia , Fatores Etários , Animais , Determinação da Pressão Arterial/instrumentação , Determinação da Pressão Arterial/métodos , Monitores de Pressão Arterial , Injeções Intraperitoneais , Masculino , NG-Nitroarginina Metil Éster/administração & dosagem , NG-Nitroarginina Metil Éster/farmacologia , Óxido Nítrico/antagonistas & inibidores , Óxido Nítrico/metabolismo , Papaverina/administração & dosagem , Papaverina/farmacologia , Fenoxibenzamina/administração & dosagem , Fenoxibenzamina/farmacologia , Propranolol/administração & dosagem , Propranolol/farmacologia , Ratos , Ratos Endogâmicos SHR , Ratos Wistar , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Especificidade da Espécie , Sistema Nervoso Simpático/efeitos dos fármacos , Sistema Nervoso Simpático/fisiologia , Sistema Vasomotor/efeitos dos fármacos , Sistema Vasomotor/fisiologiaRESUMO
In traditional medicine Gossypium barbadense L. is used against hypertension. Looking for a scientific basis for this use, the blood-pressure-lowering effect of the decoction of the leaves was confirmed. Fraction II (frII) of the crude extract of G. barbadense showed a dose-dependent hypotensive effect in anaesthetized rats. In hexamethonium-treated rats, the blood-pressure-lowering effect of frII was almost abolished. A small decrease of the blood-pressure-lowering effect was followed by an increase in the blood pressure. Phentolamine antagonized the increase in blood pressure in hexamethoniumtreated rats. High doses of atropine (4 mg/rat) suppressed both depressor and heart effects. In-vitro experiments revealed that atropine did not antagonize the contraction of the ileum of the rat. Tripelennamine in a concentration of 100 microg could not influence the contraction either, whereas 300 microg did. In the guinea-pig ileum 10 microg tripelennamine did not reduce the contraction significantly. In the mechanism of action of frII, acetylcholine receptors could be involved, but not histaminergic or adrenergic receptors. Although it is still not known which compound(s) in G. barbadense is (are) the active substance(s), the results obtained may explain the use of this plant in traditional medicine in Suriname.