Cdk5 contributes to inflammation-induced thermal hyperalgesia mediated by the p38 MAPK pathway in microglia.

Background: The mechanisms underlying cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5)-mediated thermal hyperalgesia induced by inflammation remain poorly understood. In the present study, we examined thermal hyperalgesia provoked by peripheral injection of complete Freund׳s adjuvant (CFA) to test for Cdk5 signaling in the spinal dorsal horns of rats through the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) signaling pathway, which is known to function in mediating inflammatory pain.

Methods: We induced the inflammatory pain model by plantar injection of CFA and compared the inhibitory effects of roscovitine and SB203580 on thermal hyperalgesia.