The Effects of Endogenously and Exogenously Induced Nitric Oxides on the Nociperception of Rats

내.외인성으로 유도된 Nitric Oxide가 흰쥐의 통각전달에 미치는 효과

Nitric oxide is a labile, gaseous, broad spectrum second messenger that used in various tissues and cells. If it is induced by endogenously and exogenously in the neuronal cells, it is able to mediate analgesia or hyperalgesia at the periphery and in the spinal level respectively. This dual role of nitric oxide in the sensory system is very intriguing but has not been fully understood yet. In this experiment, acetylcholine (300 $\mu$g/paw), sodium nitroprusside (600 $\mu$g/paw), and L-arginine (300 $\mu$g/paw) represented antinociceptive effect to noxious topical stimulus, but pronociceptive responses followed by spinally application (20$\mu$g/5$\mu$l, 10$\mu$g/3$\mu$l, 500$\mu$g/5$\mu$l respectively). Calcium ion is critical element which activates nitric oxide synthase, therefore verapamil (300 $\mu$g/paw) and NOS inhibitor (20 mg/kg, L-NAME or L-NOArg) are injected into right hind paw (i.pl.). When verapamil is combined with NOS inhibitors analgesic effects through NO-cGMP pathway are inhibited as compared with ACh alone. Diluted formalin (2.5%), when injected into rats'hind paw (0.05 ml), elicited a biphasic algesic responses and nitric oxide had an analgesic effect on both $A\delta$ and C sensory nerve fibers which manipulate the phases respective1y. Nitric oxides, which produced from constitutive nitric oxide synthase, activated cyclooxygenase-type I and then prostaglandins are produced from them. So, indomethacin and ibuprofen, inhibitors of COX$_1$enzyme, when pretreated intraperitoneally (100 mg/kg) could reduce the hyperalgesic state. From these results, it is possible to imagine that the intrathecally administered NO donors expressed hyperalgesia through both long-term potentiation mechanism and arachidonic acid-prostaglandin cascade.