An overview of the physiology of pain for the veterinarian.

The degree of depolarisation in a nociceptor created by a painful stimulus is influenced by numerous substances, including nerve growth factor, prostanoids, substance P and a range of inflammatory mediators. In the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, the frequency of an action potential may be increased or decreased by neurotransmitters, including substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide, galanin, γ-amino butyric acid and glycine, as well as pro-inflammatory substances. The perception of pain can also be altered in the brain, where the sensation of pain is cognitively integrated.

Arachidonic acid and glucose uptake by freshly isolated human adipocytes.

Fatty acid (FA) and glucose transport into insulin-dependent cells are impaired in insulin resistance (IR; type 2 diabetes mellitus). Studies done on the effects of FAs on glucose uptake, and the influence of insulin on FA uptake by adipocytes, have yielded contradictory results. In this study, isolated human adipocytes were exposed to arachidonic acid (AA) and to insulin, and FA uptake as well as glucose uptake was measured.