• Mariana Bravo-Hernández, Claudia Cervantes-Durán, Jorge Baruch Pineda-Farias, Paulino Barragán-Iglesias, Pedro López-Sánchez, and Vinicio Granados-Soto.
• Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (Cinvestav), Sede Sur, México, D.F., Mexico.
• Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. 2012 Apr 1;101(2):246-57.

AbstractThe role of peripheral and spinal 5-HT(3) receptors in formalin-induced secondary allodynia and hyperalgesia in rats was assessed. Formalin produced acute nociceptive behaviors (flinching and licking/lifting) followed by long-term secondary mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia in both paws. In experiments where the test drug was anticipated to augment or antagonize the response, 0.5 or 1% formalin, respectively, was used for injection. Peripheral ipsilateral, but not contralateral, pre-treatment (-10 min) with serotonin (5-HT, 10-100 nmol/paw) and the selective 5-HT(3) receptor agonist 1-(m-chlorophenyl)-biguanide (m-CPBG, 10-300 nmol/paw) increased 0.5% formalin-induced secondary allodynia and hyperalgesia in both paws. Moreover, spinal pre-treatment with m-CPBG (10-300 nmol/rat) increased 0.5% formalin-induced secondary hyperalgesia but not allodynia in both paws. Accordingly, peripheral ipsilateral (30-300 nmol/paw), but not contralateral (300 nmol/paw), and spinal (10-100 nmol) pre-treatment with the selective 5-HT(3) receptor antagonist ondansetron prevented 1% formalin-induced secondary mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia in both paws. The peripheral pronociceptive effects of 5-HT (100 nmol/paw) and m-CPBG (300 nmol/paw) as well as the spinal effect of m-CPBG (300 nmol/rat) were completely prevented by the peripheral (10 nmol/paw) and spinal (1 nmol/rat) injection, respectively, of ondansetron. At these doses, ondansetron did not modify per se formalin-induced nociceptive behaviors. Spinal (30-300 nmol/rat), but not peripheral (300 nmol/paw), post-treatment (on day 6) with ondansetron reversed established formalin-induced secondary mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia in both paws. Results suggest that a barrage of afferent input induced by 5-HT at peripheral 5-HT(3) receptors participates in the development of formalin-induced long-term secondary allodynia and hyperalgesia in the rat. In addition, our data suggest that spinal 5-HT(3) receptors play an important role during development and maintenance of these evoked long-term behaviors.Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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