Expression of phosphorylated cAMP response element binding protein (p-CREB) in bladder afferent pathways in VIP-/- mice with cyclophosphamide (CYP)-induced cystitis.

The expression of phosphorylated cAMP response element binding protein (p-CREB) in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) with and without cyclophosphamide (CYP)-induced cystitis (150 mg/kg, i.p; 48 h) was determined in VIP(-/-) and wild-type (WT) mice. p-CREB immunoreactivity (IR) was determined in bladder (Fast blue) afferent cells.

The importance of genetic background on pain behaviours and pharmacological sensitivity in the rat spared serve injury model of peripheral neuropathic pain.

Neuropathic pain conditions can encompass a diverse constellation of signs and symptoms consisting of sensory deficits, allodynia and hyperalgesia. Animal models of neuropathic pain have enabled the identification of key pathophysiological changes occurring within nociceptive pathways as a result of injury, and serve an invaluable role for preclinical screening of novel analgesic candidates. We have produced the first systematic description of the development and maintenance, and the pharmacological sensitivity of nociceptive behaviours in four rat strains with different genetic background (outbred Sprague-Dawley and inbred Brown Norway, Lewis and Fischer 344 rats), using the spared nerve injury model of peripheral neuropathic pain.

Centrally-mediated antinociceptive actions of GABA(A) receptor agonists in the rat spared nerve injury model of neuropathic pain.

Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) plays a major role in the central hyperexcitabilty associated with nerve damage. The precise antinociceptive actions mediated by GABA(A) receptor agonists remain unclear as previous studies have shown mixed results in neuropathic pain models. Thus, various drugs which modulate GABA(A) receptor function were tested in the rat spared nerve injury (SNI) model of neuropathic pain.