• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.139-149
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• 1989

Although tail flick reflex (TFR) in rats has been used as a classic model of the nociceptive test to evaluate the action of analgesics, there have been few studies on the origin of the latent period of TFR. Present study was performed to elucidate the mechanism of increase in latency of TFR by morphine in anesthetized rats. Tail skin and dorsolateral tail nerve were stimulated electrically and EMG activities were recorded from abductor caudae dorsalis muscle participating in tail flick reflex. In the case of noxious radiant heat stimulation to tail, the tail flick tension was recorded before and after administration of morphine. Then changes in latency and conduction velocity of peripheral nerve were evaluated. The results obtained were as follows: 1) The latencies of TFR evoked by the electrical stimulation of tail skin and dorsolateral tail nerve were all within 40 ms and were elongated by several milliseconds from control after the administration of morphine. Peripheral conduction velocities of tail flick afferent nerve were within the range of 10-25 m/s. 2) The conduction velocity of peripheral nerve was significantly reduced after morphine administration, therefore the afferent time (utilization time+conduction time to spinal cord) was significantly increased. But the time for central delay and efferent time was not affected by morphine. 3) The conduction velocity under room temperature $(20-25^{\circ}C)$ was significantly reduced after morphine while that under vasodilation state $(40{\sim}42^{\circ}C)$ increased, 30 min and 45 min after morphine. The conduction velocity under vasodilation state without treatment of morphine increased continuously 4) The latency in tension response of TFR evoked by electrical stimulation was elongated by several milliseconds from control while the latency evoked by noxious radiant heat was elongated by several seconds compared with that of control. From the above results, it could be concluded that: 1) the increased latency of TFR evoked by electrical stimulation of the tail after morphine administration was due to the reducton in conduction velocity of peripheral nerve, which was the secondry effect of morphine on the peripheral vasomotion and 2) increased latency of TFR evoked by noxious radiant heat was also due to the same effect of morphine and the increase in cutaneous insulation to the noxious heat.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 1994

Inhibition of the nociceptive Tail Flick Reflex (TFR) was observed with electrical stimulation of the locus coeruleus/subcoeruleus (LC/SC) in the male Sprague - Dawley rats under light anesthesia, and the involved neurotransmitter (s) were characterized. Electrical stimulation of LC/SC induced the analgesia with the stimulation threshold (intensity of the current, given for 100 usec and in 100 Hz frequency, which caused the TF latency longer than 6.5 sec) around 55 uA. Intrathecal administrations of ${\alpha}_2$ antagonist, yohimbine (30 ug) or opioid antagonist, naloxone (20 ug) increased the stimulation threshold by 147% and 123% respectively (from 55 uA to 135 uA,9 and from 54 uA to 123 uA;P0.01, n=5, each). The basal TF latency without stimulation (3.1 sec) was reduced by the antagonists (to 2.5 sec by yohimbine, p<0.05, n=5; to 2.6 sec by naloxone, p<0.1, n=5), vehicle only did not show any effect. Noradrenaline(NA) in the spinal cord superfusates measured with HPLC was increased by the LC/SC stimulation, from 4.18 ng/ml before to 7.74 ng/ml after stimulation (P<0.05, n=10). The result suggest that analgesia induced by LC/SC stimulation is mediated, at least in part, by the noradrenergic system in which ${\alpha}_2$ receptor is involved, as well as the opioid system.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.674-678
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• 2010

The effects of medetomidine on the degree of analgesia and sedation in rats were evaluated. The rats were randomly divided into six groups: saline, 1 mL/kg (group 'Saline'); butorphanol, 2.0 mg/kg; medetomidine, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 or 1.6 mg/kg (group 'MED0.2', 'MED0.4', 'MED0.8' and 'MED1.6', respectively). The degree of analgesia was measured in the $50^{\circ}C$ hot-water tail-flick latency test, and the degree of sedation was evaluated using the numerical sedation score (NSS) and the righting reflex. All doses of medetomidine, except MED0.2, significantly increased the analgesic effect compared to the Saline group. Variables in the MED0.4 and MED0.8 groups, but not in the MED1.6 group, were significantly increased compared to those in the MED0.2 group. However, analgesia with all doses of medetomidine was not significantly different compared to that with butorphanol. Saline and butorphanol treatments did not induce sedation and loss of righting reflex during the recording period. NSS in the MED0.4, MED0.8 and MED1.6 groups were significantly higher than that in the MED0.2 group. NSS in the MED0.8 and MED1.6 groups were not significantly different from that in the MED0.4 group. The latency to loss of righting reflex in the MED0.8 and MED1.6 groups decreased significantly compared to that in the MED0.2 group. Thus, 0.4 and 0.8 mg/kg of medetomidine provided not only reliable analgesia but also sedation to rats. In conclusion, 0.4 to 0.8 mg/kg medetomidine could be a useful chemical restraint method in rats.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.3 no.6
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• pp.555-563
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• 1999

It is well known that stress induces analgesia. This study was designed to demonstrate the stress-induced analgesia by employing hemorrhage and restraint and to investigate its mechanism and sex difference. The degree of pain was assessed by measuring the magnitude of jaw opening reflex produced by a noxious electrical stimulation in the dental pulp and by measuring the latency to withdraw the tail from a heat ray. Restraint showed an antinociceptive response. A significant increase in pain threshold on bleeding was shown and the increase was larger in male group than in female group. The tail flick latency (TFL) on bleeding after AVP antagonist injection into the ventricle was decreased and the decrease was greater in male rats than in female rats. Castration resulted in a significant reduction of TFL. This effect was reversed by treatment with sex hormones. TFL was decreased during hemorrhage in castrated rats. This response was opposite to that in non-castrated rats. TFL was further decreased during hemorrhage after infusion of AVP antagonist, and there was a significant sex difference. These results suggest that both restraint and hemorrhage produce an antinociception and that, in hemorrhage-induced analgesia, AVP and sex hormones may play an important role and male rats show a greater analgesic response.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 1993

Central analgesic effect of capsaicin was assessed by the tail flick reflex (TFR) test, using male Sprague-Dawley rats under anesthesia with pentobarbital sodium (induction with 40 mg/kg and maintenance with $4{\sim}8\;mg/kg/hr$). Level of norepinephrine in the spinal cord was also measured. Capsaicin, $35{\sim}150\;{\mu}g$, was injected intrathecally, and the TFR latency was measured before, 10, 30, and 60 minutes after the drug administration. TFR latency was increased 100% or more immediately by intrathecal capsaicin, from 2.9 seconds to the maximum of 7.0 seconds at 10 minute after the drug; P<0.01. The increase in TFR latency was maintained during the course of experiment of 2 hours. Concomitant reduction of NE content in the spinal cord was observed; from 16 ng/mg protein to 7 ng/mg protein. On the other hand, subcutaneous injection of capsaicin of 50 mg/kg did not change the TFR latency although the NE content reduced similarly to the case of intrathecal injection. Pretreatment of the animal with 0.5 mg/kg of MK-801 reversed the increase of TFR latency and NE reduction induced by intrathecal capsaicin. These results suggest that capsaicin causes analgesia at the spinal cord level by activating the excitatory amino acid-NE-dorsal horn interneurons axis of the descending inhibitory pain modulation pathway.