Anesthesiology
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Intrathecally administered clonidine increases release of spinal acetylcholine, which may be related to its analgesic action in neuropathic pain. The current study determined the role of spinal muscarinic and nicotinic receptors in the antiallodynic effect of intrathecally administered clonidine in spinal nerve-ligated rats. ⋯ These results demonstrate that the analgesic effect of intrathecally administered clonidine on neuropathic pain is mediated by spinal muscarinic and nicotinic receptors. Therefore, this study provides functional evidence that spinally released acetylcholine plays a role in the antiallodynic effect of intrathecally administered clonidine in neuropathic pain.