Brain research
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In order to study central neuronal components involved in subcutaneous (s.c.) bee venom-induced persistent pain (a new tonic pain model), we use Fos immunostaining technique to study the spatial and temporal patterns of neuronal activity in the spinal cord of anesthetized rats. Following intraplantar bee venom injection, Fos-like immunoreactive (ir) neurons were only seen from L1 to S3 rostrocaudally with distinct distribution at L4-5 segments. At segments of L1-2 and S1-3, Fos-ir labelings were diffusely and symmetrically distributed on both sides of the gray matter; however, at L4-5 segments, Fos-ir neurons were densely localized in medial portion of laminae I-II, less densely in laminae V-VI and a few in laminae VII and X ipsilateral to the injection side. ⋯ Within laminae III-IV, Fos-ir neurons could not be seen at 0.5 h, but began to be seen at 1 h and appeared to exist even at 24 h after bee venom. Systemic morphine suppressed c-Fos expression dose-dependently in both superficial and deep layers of dorsal horn and the latter region was much more sensitive to morphine than the former one. The present results demonstrated that prolonged neuronal activities in superficial and deep layers of dorsal horn were essential to mediation of bee venom induced tonic pain and may have different roles in generation and/or modulation of spontaneous pain and hyperalgesia and allodynia.
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This study examined the effects of the administration of D-amphetamine on the regional accumulation of lactate and free fatty acids (FFAs) after lateral fluid percussion (FP) brain injury in the rat. Rats were subjected to either FP brain injury of moderate severity (1.9 to 2.0 atm) or sham operation. At 5 min after injury, rats were treated with either d-amphetamine (4 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline. ⋯ Neither levels of lactate nor levels of FFAs were increased in the contralateral cortex in the saline-treated injured rats at 30 min or 60 min after FP brain injury. The levels of lactate and FFAs in the contralateral cortex were also unaffected by the administration of D-amphetamine. These results suggest that the attenuation of increases in the levels of lactate and FFAs in the ipsilateral cortex and hippocampus may be involved in the amphetamine-induced improvement in behavioral outcome after lateral FP brain injury.