Effect of Carrageenan-Induced Pain on Lower Limb Muscle and Ligament of Rat

Carrageenan에 의한 근통유발이 백서의 하지근과 인대에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study os to investigative the effect of Carrageenan-Induced Pain on lower limb muscle and ligament of rat. To evaluate pain mechanism in muscle and ligament, pain was induced by the injection of 2% $0.1m{\ell}$ carrageenan into the left lower limb muscle of rats after rats were anesthesized with 3% enflurane. Rats were killed on 72 hours after pain induction under the anesthesia. anterior rectus femoris muscle and its ligament were removed from rat hind limb. Morphological changes of them were peformed by the observation of light and electron microscopes. In the light microscopic findings, the muscle cells were polyheadral and situated with each other without small gap in control group. nucleus of cell was seen along the cell margin, and muscle cell groups were divided by regular narrow gap in cross section. In the pain-induced group, muscle cell groups were divided each other by the irregular gap, and some of groups formed larger than other cell groups by the fusion. Intercellular gap of most cell groups were increased compared with control groups. And also, perimysium of muscle cell groups was swollen in cross section. In control group, muscle cells contacted each other closely and each cell was divided by perimysium. The intracellular gaps were not seen between myofibrills, and also striations were well defined between muscle cells in longitudinal section. In pain-induced group, muscle cells were divided by the small intracellular gaps. And also, muscle cell showed many a short cross or longitudinal intercellular gaps in longitudinal section. In light microscopic findings of control group, tendon was composed with many tendon fibers contacted each other closely without gap. The free margin of tendon was fused, and apso the tendon fibers did not invaded between muscles. In pain-induced group, tendon was divided small groups by intertendinous gap, and also the margin of tendon divided by small groups. In the free margin, tendon invaded into muscle cells, and also fibroblasts between tendon fibers were long and lance-shaped. From these results, it is suggested that pain induction by carrageenan injured rat skeletal muscle and ligament by the morphological changes.